CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Capitol Market in Charleston will be a site on Saturday where residents can donate their used Christmas trees.
The state Department of Environmental Protection and the state Division of Natural Resources will be accepting donated trees that will be repurposed as fish habitat in lakes and rivers across West Virginia.
“We’re taking any size, live tree. That’s the only stipulation that it has to be a live tree. We’re also asking that people take all the lights, the ornaments, the tinsel off of the tree before the tree is donated,” said Jake Glance, state DEP spokesman.
Glance said many West Virginia lakes have flat mud bottoms, so adding the trees to the surface creates habitat for fish.
The donated trees will be used in Stonecoal Lake, Burnsville Lake, Big Ditch Lake and Tygart Lake.
“It takes the Christmas trees that people would normally just throw away that would wind up in our landfills and gives them a useful purpose as fish habitat in our lakes and rivers,” Glance said.
Trees will be accepted from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Capitol Market.
Several prizes will also be available for those who make donations. One prize packet includes two all-day lift tickets, ski rental and a ski lesson at Winterplace Ski Resort. Other prizes include three one-night stays at Chief Logan State Park and a $25 gift certificate to Capitol Market.
Last year, the state DEP and DNR collected nearly 500 old trees.