The Kenai National Wildlife Refuge announced that they will be open for Christmas tree cutting from Thanksgiving Day, Thursday November 24th through Christmas Day, Sunday, December 25th. Trees are for personal use with a limit of one per household and may not be taller than 20 feet.
Leah Eskelin, Park Ranger for the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge told KSRM:
“The Kenai National Wildlife Refuge opens up the refuge lands Thanksgiving Day. That will be Thursday for Christmas tree cutting. That’s one tree per family, per household. No taller than 20 feet. We want to make sure that we’re taking trees for our traditions that aren’t major habitat, you know, 200-year-old trees. There’s a little bit of restriction there, but, really, there are some beautiful smaller trees. They can be pretty much taken on refuge lands anywhere except for around the headquarters and visitor center area and then within 150 feet of roads, lakes, trails, campgrounds, and cabins. You need to move just a little further away from wherever you park your car. It’s also only hand tools. Again, you’re not going to be taking a huge tree.”
Eskelin provided some additional tips for the tree:
“So, you know, a hatchet, an axe or, like I said, we use a saw. It’s very easy. It’s so much fun. Everyone gets a job of carrying this tree out. Like you said earlier, it’s part of the experience. Yes, you end up with a great Christmas tree that you can bring home. I’ll mention that these trees have been frozen. Planning a spot in the heated garage or a shop or something like that where they can thaw not in your home because they will lose some needles and they’ll drip, things like that. Give it a little bucket of water overnight and let it sit for that evening before you bring it straight into your home.”
The public is requested to trim the stumps as close to the ground as possible for aesthetic reasons. For additional information, please contact the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge office during regular business hours at (907) 262-7021.
