Orders are now being accepted for high-quality reasonably priced seedling trees and shrubs for conservation plantings. Conservation plantings include windbreaks, hedgerows, living snow fences, dust and visual screens, wildlife habitat enhancement, soil stabilization, reforestation/afforestation projects, and Christmas tree plantations. Seedlings are grown in Fort Collins at the Colorado State Forest Service nursery and are then sold and distributed by several cooperating Conservation Districts in southwest Colorado. Requirements to participate in this annual program include the ownership of one or more acres of land and agreement not to use seedlings for landscaping purposes or to resell them as living plants.

Seedlings are available as either bare root or potted planting stock, and include a wide variety of native and introduced coniferous and deciduous trees and deciduous shrubs. Among the available species are ponderosa pine, Colorado blue spruce, pinon pine, aspen, chokecherry, sumac, and serviceberry. All bare root stock is sold in bundles of 25 seedlings of the same species for $26.00 per bundle, plus tax. The potted stock is sold in small containers with 30 seedlings of the same species for $45, plus tax or $75, plus tax per 30 for large potted seedlings.

The sooner the seedling orders are placed, the better chance there is of getting the desired species. For further information, please contact your local Conservation District at the following telephone numbers: Dolores CD (Montezuma County) at 565-9045, ext. 3; Mancos CD (Area serviced by Mancos CD) at 533-7317; Dove Creek CD (Dolores County) at 677-2248, ext 3; LaPlata CD (LaPlata & San Juan Counties) at 259-3289; and San Juan CD (Archuleta, southern Hinsdale, and southwestern Mineral Counties) at 731-3615. Information and assistance is also available from the Colorado State Forest Service on the campus of Fort Lewis College in Durango - 247-5250.