Colorado’s national forests get some help every fall from thousands of families who head out into the woods to cut down their own Christmas trees.

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The U.S. Forest Service issues permits each year across Colorado to legally cut down small trees in specific areas as a way to help thin overgrown forests and reduce the risk of large, uncontrollable wildfires.

Denver Water is a proud supporter of forest management efforts because the rain and snow that falls in the forests eventually flows into rivers and streams and is captured in reservoirs, where it’s stored for use as drinking water in the city.

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While wildfires can be beneficial to overall forest health, thinning helps remove vegetation from the forest floor, which helps reduce the risk of catastrophic fires that can destroy a forest, impact wildlife, damage communities and destroy recreational trails. 

And when a big fire destroys trees and damages the soil, more sediment flows down the mountain. The additional sediment causes water quality problems, dam safety concerns and takes up space in reservoirs designed to store water for millions of people.

Did you know strategic forest thinning can build a better forest?

Denver Water helps with forest management through its support of the From Forests to Faucets program. The program is operated by a partnership that includes the U.S. Forest Service, the Colorado State Forest Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

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The Forest Service allows Christmas tree cutting with a permit in November and December in the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests; Pike and San Isabel National Forests; San Juan National Forest and the White River National Forest. Popular locations often sell out and tree cutting without a permit is illegal.

More information is available from the U.S. Forest Service.