Donate your live Christmas Tree to one of these 42 locations in Arkansas

Saying “bring out your dead” makes me think of the Monty Python movie, Quest for the Holy Grail. Well the “dead” in this particular case is your Christmas tree. And the “grail” of sorts is the goal of getting that dead tree out of your home and giving it a final resting place.

It’s not a live tree anymore. But it still has some “life” in it, if you donate it through a program by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

After you bring your tree to one of the drop-off sites around the state (see list below), anglers can come get one to use for underwater cover. According to the AGFC, the small spaces and dense cover offered by fresh evergreen trees make excellent nursery habitat for small fish, as well as great places to fish.

Anglers are welcome to remove trees from drop-off locations to create their own fish attractors. Tying the trees to cinder blocks with parachute cord is a popular option to weigh down the trees down.

The small branches will deteriorate quickly, so it’s best to sink the trees in groups. The trunks of the trees will last much longer, offering some woody cover long after the attractiveness of a single tree wanes.

When you drop off your tree, it should be clean of all ornaments, lights and tinsel. Do not donate artificial Christmas trees for this AGFC program.

Donate trees until the end of January at the following locations:

Northwest Arkansas

Beaver Lake – Highway 12 Access, AGFC Don Roufa Highway 412 Access and Monte Ne Boat Ramp Access
Lake Elmdale – Boat Ramp Access
Bob Kidd Lake – Boat Ramp Access
Crystal Lake – Boat Ramp Access
Lake Fayetteville — Boat Ramp Access

North Arkansas

Bull Shoals Lake – Any U.S. Army Corps of Engineers boat ramp
Norfork Lake – Any U.S. Army Corps of Engineers boat ramp

Northeast Arkansas

Jonesboro – Craighead Forest Park Lake Boat Ramp
Lake Bono – Boat Ramp Access
Lake Walcott – Crowley’s Ridge State Park Boat Ramp Access
Lake Charles – West parking lot at Highway 25 Boat Ramp Access
Lake Poinsett — Dam Access Boat Ramp
Batesville — Ramsey Slough Boat Ramp

Central Arkansas

Arkansas River – Riverview Park Access in North Little Rock
Lake Barnett – Reed Access
Greers Ferry Lake – Sandy Beach (Heber Springs), Devils Fork Recreation Area and Choctaw Recreation Area (Choctaw-Clinton)
Harris Brake Lake – Chittman Hill Access
Lake Pickthorne – Holland Bottoms Access
Lake Overcup – Lake Overcup Landing
Cox Creek Lake – Cox Creek Lake Public Access
Lake Hamilton – Andrew Hulsey State Fish Hatchery Access Area

East Arkansas

Horseshoe Lake — Bonds Access
Wynne Sports Complex Family and Community Fishing Pond

Southeast Arkansas

Lake Chicot – Connerly Bayou Access Area
Cook’s Lake – Potlatch Cook’s Lake Nature Center at 625 Cook’s Lake Road, Casscoe, or the bus lot across from Grand Avenue United Methodist Church in Stuttgart

South Arkansas

Camden – AGFC Regional Office on Ben Lane, next to the National Guard Armory
Upper White Oak Lake – Upper Jack’s Landing
Magnolia – Columbia County Road Department Yard on Highway 371
El Dorado – City recycling center drop-offs: one behind Arby’s and one on South Jackson
Smackover – Recycling Drop-Off Center (these will be transported to El Dorado)

Southwest Arkansas

Bois d’Arc Lake – Kidd’s Landing or Hatfield Access
Millwood Lake – Cottonshed, White Cliffs Recreation Areas and the Millwood State Park ramp on the point
Dierks City Pond — Main parking area