TRUCKEE, Calif. — A few days before Thanksgiving, Boy Scout Troop 267 in Truckee heads to the forests north of town to harvest Christmas trees to be sold locally.

These trees are freshly cut and locally grown, all part of an overall forest health and sustainability program managed by the US Forest Service.

Harvesting the trees is an extraordinary team effort involving more than 40 Scouts and family members. This all-volunteer effort has logistics of trailers, chain saws, food, and of course, the weather usually throws a curve ball to add to the effort! Most seasons, the harvest is a 14-plus-hour day, a strong lesson in the value of a hard day’s work!

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Harvesting the trees is just the beginning. The trees must be stored locally, and the sales hut, fencing and racking setup is a fun construction project for the Scouts.

From the day after Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve, the scouts and parents handle sales shifts at the tree lot, which has to be kept free and clear of snow (which we hope is a large project this year!).

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Finally, at sellout around Christmas Eve, the lot needs to be disassembled and equipment stored. Christmas tree sales are the Troop’s sole fundraising effort each year.

There are many partners in the community supporting the Scouts’ Christmas tree sales. The Scouts would like to say a huge THANK YOU to the following supporters and all they do to help us:

Mountain Hardware (providing the awesome sales location).

Tahoe Donner Association (providing equipment storage location).

Truckee Tahoe Airport (tree storage).

Lengua Viva (tree storage).

Truckee Optimists (Troop’s sponsoring organization).

Tree sales start the day after Thanksgiving at the lot at Mountain Hardware in Truckee, off Donner Pass Road just west of the Gateway Shopping Center (Safeway), and end when we sell out of trees.

Shop and buy early to ensure the best selection! Thank you for your support of the Boy Scouts of Troop 267!

Mike Salmon is Assistant Scoutmaster for Truckee Boy Scout Troop 267, and Julie Tester is Tree Sales Coordinator for the scouts. Visit truckee267.mytroop.us to learn more.