Charles Huggins

Staff Writer n charlesh@nwanews.com

If that familiar smell comes wafting in from the living room, it might be time to get rid of your Christmas tree.

Trees can be dropped off at any Bella Vista launch ramp at any time. The Public Works Department asks residents to remove any plastic, tinsel or other material that might harm the environment.

Residents just need to find the closest launch ramp to a lake and pile the trees off to the side.

A hole is drilled through the trunk of the tree and a length of wire is pulled through. Then cinder blocks are tied to the wire to weigh down the tree. After that it is just a matter of dropping the tree in the lake.

Sinking the trees serves two purposes. It is a safe and environmentally sound way of discarding the trees. Once submerged, the branches and foliage provide an excellent habitat for fish, which is why the trees are so coveted by fisherman.

Lakes and Parks Superintendent Rick Pearson added that artificial or plastic trees are not to be dropped off for any reason.