(CNN) — The US Forest Service wants you to leave the artificial tree in its box this year. Instead, it recommends, cut your own Christmas tree in a national forest -- a tradition that's good for the forest, too. Over 75 national forests in the US allow visitors to cut their own Christmas tree, from Olympic National Forest in Washington state to Ocala National Forest in Florida. You can apply for one through Recreation.gov, a partner of the US Forest Service, where you can select your nearest national forest and pay a small fee, usually $10. Hood National Forest recommends you first clip the branches of the tree you've chosen with a pruning tool before using a hand saw to cut down your tree.

Source: The Nation November 29, 2020 11:37 UTC