CITY OFFERS FREE DISPOSAL OF RESIDENTS' HOLIDAY TREES

Christmas has come and gone, and New Year's is coming on.

The holidays, which always seem to come and go all too quickly, are rapidly disappearing, and residents soon will be facing the chore of dismantling and disposing of the family Christmas tree.

The city dump is out; solid-waste legislation passed more than four years ago prohibits Christmas trees and other yard wastes from being put in landfills.

But there is an answer to the dilemma: Cape Girardeans can haul their trees to a special site in Arena Park where they will be recycled by being used for fish habitat in area ponds and lakes or ground into landscaping mulch that will be made available to residents.

The drop-off area is in south Arena Park at Spartech and Optimist Drive. The area is marked by colorful roping, and there is no charge for leaving the trees. The drop-off site is open through January.

There is another option.

"City residents may request a special pickup," said a spokesperson at the Cape Girardeau Public Works Department. "Trees can be picked up at curbside for a $5 fee."

Residents, however, must call the public works office and request the special Wednesday pickup. The first Wednesday pickup of 1996 will be held Jan. 10.

Meanwhile, the Public Works Department Solid Waste Division will pick up a "reasonable" extra amount of regular holiday debris -- excluding Christmas trees -- during a limited time through the remainder of the holiday season.

The Missouri Department of Conservation will use some of the trees taken to Arena Park for fish habitat in area lakes, including Boutin Lake in Trail of Tears State Park.

Christmas trees also may be dropped off at two sites in the Wappapello Lake area for use as fish shelters in Wappapello Lake. The Corps of Engineers has established two collection points at Wappapello -- at Redmon Creek and Sundowner Marina. The trees may be dropped off there until Jan. 15.

"We use the trees to provide an effective and economical means of providing fish habitat," said David Hobbie, a park ranger in the Wappapello Lake area. "We maintain 16 fish shelters in the lake."

The fish shelters provide fish with breeding areas, resting places and protection.

Fishermen have learned that the shelters attract many game species of fish and are productive fishing locations," said Hobbie. "But for these fish shelters to remain productive, new structures must be added each year."

Hobbie said trees can easily be prepared as fish habitat by taking a 50-pound concrete block, wiring four or five average-size trees to the block and sinking them. Only real trees can be used as fish attractors and they must be free of all ornamentation.