Spent Christmas trees may help in rebuilding

Finally, a destination for used Christmas trees beyond wood chippers and landfills: How about shoreline protection?

That's the aim of a tree-gathering campaign that will get under way next week led by Friends of Bigfork Schools and a professor at the University of Montana's Yellow Bay Biological Station.

"We need to get about 1,000 trees or more," said Mark Lorang, an assistant research professor who designed an erosion-control project for the north shore of Flathead Lake. "The more trees I can get, the better."

So how do Christmas trees fit into a shoreline?

Lorang's design puts them to use as "brush bundles" that are tied into vertical posts along a 300-foot erosion-prone bank of the Flathead River just north of the lake. Brush bundles effectively catch sediments so that the river rebuilds the shoreline, Lorang explained.

"It's really simple. You're just get the river to bring some mud in and deposit it."

The shoreline then can be further restored with revegetation work. While it will be an "experimental approach" on Flathead Lake, brush bundles have proven effective in other locations, such as the Sacramento River Delta in California.

Lorang said he is excited about the tree collection campaign because it's a way to engage and involve the public in solving a shoreline erosion problem that has been viewed passively for far too long.

"I see this as a huge swing from folks just watching it all wash away to getting people involved in protecting this habitat," he said.

The tree collection campaign will be funded with $3,000 from Kerr Dam operator PPL Montana. While Lorang's shoreline protection design has yet to be reviewed, approved and permitted by multiple agencies, 'tis the season to collect trees.

"We need to worry about getting trees now," he said.

Portions of the project, including the riverbank work, probably will be able to proceed in 2007, with the bulk of the work getting under way the following year.

As of Friday, arrangements were still being made to establish a location where used Christmas trees can be deposited and stored.

Lorang said trees that are flocked or have tinsel cannot be used for the project.

For more information on the tree collection campaign, contact Friends of Bigfork Schools organizer Mary Knoll at 837-6851.

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com