Turn Christmas leftovers into ‘Habitat for the Holidays’

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has sites throughout the state where anyone can donate their used Christmas tree through January to be used as fish habitat. AGFC photo by Mike Wintroath.

LITTLE ROCK — When the eggnog is finished and the last of the holiday feasts are over, many live Christmas trees are destined to sit next to the road until the sanitation department picks them up. Instead of tossing your festive fir to the curb on Dec. 26, donate it to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Habitat for the Holidays program.

AGFC biologists throughout the state have designated special Christmas tree donation locations where you can deliver your tree so it can be used as fish habitat in local lakes.

The drop-off locations act just like a “take-a-penny, leave-a-penny tray” at a cashier’s station, only it’s for fish. Anyone who wants to drop off their natural Christmas tree can take it to a location and leave it. Any angler who wants to take the trees and sink them can do so throughout January. After that, AGFC staff will take the remainder of the trees and freshen up some of the existing fishing hotspots found on the AGFC interactive map.

Anglers may take trees from the drop-off locations to create their own fishing hotspots. AGFC photo by Mike Wintroath.

 

Anglers should bring their own rope and weights to sink the trees. Paracord works well to bind trees together and attach the weight (sandbags and cinder blocks are most commonly used).

Christmas trees are relatively short-term habitat because they don’t have much thick woody material, but they can be gathered in clusters easily and sunk in large groups. The main stems will last longer than the wispy branches and continue to draw fish throughout the year. Many anglers use these Christmas trees to freshen up productive attractor sites every year, with the main trunks offering long-lasting cover and the branches of the new brush.

Artificial trees are not allowed at drop-off locations, and all ornaments, tinsel and lights should be removed before the trees are dropped off.

Trees can be left at any of the following locations until the end of January:

Upper White Oak Lake – Upper Jack’s Landing

Millwood Lake – Millwood State Park ramp on the point

Rick Evans Grandview Prairie – Nature Center near Columbus

Perrytown – AGFC Regional Office on U.S. Highway 67 East

Any trees remaining at the end of January will be used to freshen up established habitat sites. Anglers can find GPS coordinates to all AGFC fish attractors at www.agfc.com.