What was once “O, Christmas Tree” will instead be no Christmas trees as the annual tree recycling event will not take place this year in Carter County.
In past years, local residents could recycle their live Christmas trees by dropping them off at the Elizabethton/Carter County Chamber of Commerce.
The trees were then picked up by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency to be used in a variety of projects, including creating habitats for fish in the many lakes and streams in the region.
But this year, the TWRA will not be picking the trees up in Carter County so officials at the Chamber of Commerce are asking that residents not drop off the trees as they have in the past.
“TWRA doesn’t have the resources to get them this year,” said Carl Brickey, director of tourism for Carter County. “They had so many last year it took too much manpower. They got a ton of them last year.”
Since TWRA is not picking up the trees, Brickey said the Chamber of Commerce doesn’t have anyone else to collect the trees.
The TWRA is still collecting trees for recycling in other locations, just not in Carter County, said Matthew Cameron, a public information officer with TWRA.
“Washington County and Johnson City are the only ones providing trees to us this year,” Cameron said, adding those two locations could provide enough trees to meet the agency’s needs.
City residents can dispose of their trees using their curbside brush collection service.
The Carter County landfill also accepts brush, with minimum loads charged at $5, while large loads are weighed and charged at the rate of $42.50 per ton.