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The Routt County Conservation District is selling seedling trees and shrubs.

Trees are available to landowners who have at least two acres, who will use the trees for conservation purposes and who will not sell the trees as live plants (Christmas trees are fine). Trees sell quickly, so get your order in now. The office has a great selection of potted and bare-root trees and shrubs available. The seedlings will arrive May 5 for pickup in the Pine Grove Building parking lot, at 1475 Pine Grove Road, in Steamboat Springs.

The state Forest Service nursery in Fort Collins grows more than 2 million seedlings each year, and about 40 species are available through the RCCD seedling tree program. The available seedling trees include cotoneaster, caragana, current, chokecherry, sand cherry, golden willow, Colorado blue spruce, Rocky Mountain juniper, bristlecone pine and lodgepole pine. Choose from the numerous varieties of trees and shrubs to meet your application's specific needs.

Tree planting is a symbol of our faith in and hope for the future. Planting, caring for and nurturing trees is a reminder of our long-term commitment to conservation.

Do you have lodgepole pine trees on your property? Go ahead and replant lodgepole. It is a native species that obviously grew there before, and therefore will grow there again. Yes, they are susceptible to the mountain pine beetle but not during this epidemic. According to the Colorado State Forest Service, the following are 10 ways to use trees to benefit our environment and contribute to our community's conservation efforts:

- Trees help control soil erosion. Plant windbreaks to slow wind - roots hold the soil in place.

- Create a snow fence using trees to control blowing/drifting snow, reducing fuel consumption and labor costs associated with snow removal. Living snow fences provide safe roadways but are more attractive and require less maintenance than traditional slat fences.

- Use wood products whenever possible instead of nonrenewable resources. Then, plant trees to renew the resource you are using.

- Trees help cleanse the air. They control air-polluting gases through oxygenation and dilution.

- Reduce noise by planting buffers.

- Ask for paper instead of plastic sacks when shopping. Each spring, plant a tree to replace the paper.

- Grow tree and shrub species that annually shed leaves on your home's south and west sides to cool your residence, reducing energy used for air conditioning. Allow the sun's rays through in the winter, saving home heating dollars. Evergreens planted on the north side block cold winter winds.

- Provide wildlife habitat in urban and natural forests and in streamside areas.

- Increase young people's environmental awareness and conservation action through environmental education programs.

- Plant a tree to beautify Colorado.