FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  April 21, 2015  Media Contact: Richard Hackett, Communications Specialist, 720-564-2605

 Boulder County Community Forestry Sort Yards open in May

Free slash and log disposal available at Allenspark and Nederland sort yards

 Boulder County, Colo. – The Boulder County Forest Health Initiative has announced the Community Forestry Sort Yard operating schedule for 2015. Both the Allenspark and Nederland area sort yards will be open Wednesday through Saturday beginning in May.

Sort yards are free of charge locations where residents can drop off logs, tree branches, pine needles, cut grass and noxious weeds. Residents load the material into a vehicle or trailer, haul it to Nederland or Allenspark, and unload it at the yard at no charge.

Allenspark/Meeker Park Area Sort Yard – 8200 Hwy. 7, Allenspark

• Opens: May 1 – Closes:Oct. 17
• Hours of Operation: Wednesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Nederland Area Sort Yard – 291 Ridge Road, Nederland

• Opens: May 1 – Closes:Oct. 17
• Hours of Operation: Wednesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This summer marks the eighth consecutive year that Boulder County has offered free slash and log disposal.

“The yards have proven to be an extremely popular resource for mountain residents,” said Ryan Ludlow, outreach forester with the county’s Land Use Department. “During the 2013 and 2014 seasons, more than 1,000 individuals dropped off 8,145 loads of material. The majority of these folks are working on wildfire mitigation and forest health improvement on their land.”

Both sort yards will be closed on July 4, and may have additional closures due to weather and administrative requirements. During inclement weather, call the operational status hotline at 303-678-6368 before hauling.

 Volunteer Community Forestry Sort Yard Hosts needed

Volunteer Community Forestry Sort Yard Hosts are needed at the Allenspark and Nederland yards. Volunteers help make sure that sort yards continue to be a local hub of community-based forestry information.

Volunteer Sort Yard Hosts greet people as they enter the yard, collect data on the material they are delivering, and provide information about forest ecology, bark beetles, and wildfire mitigation. Volunteers will not be responsible for helping unload materials. Boulder County is looking for volunteers who can commit to 16 hours per month in four-hour shifts.

For more information, visit www.BoulderCountyOpenSpace.org/volunteer, or contact Wayne Harrington at 303-678-6368 or wharrington@nullbouldercounty.org.

–BoulderCounty.org–