NEDERLAND-- Starting Memorial Day (May 28), mountain residents can once again drop off tree limbs and brush (“slash”) at the Boulder County Waste Transfer Station and Recycling Center at 286 Ridge Road, Nederland. The drop-off site will accept limbs and brush through Labor Day (Sept. 3) 2007.

To encourage the use of this convenient, low-cost, organic waste-diversion service, residents will pay just $5 per cubic yard, less than half the facility’s regular fee for waste drop-off. In order to ensure that space is available for each load delivered, residents must call the facility first at 303-258-7878 to make an appointment.

The transfer station will accept brush and tree limbs up to six inches in diameter. No other organic materials will be accepted. The slash collected will be chipped on site on a regular basis and then hauled to Boulder for composting. Residents wishing to obtain wood chips will be able to collect them free of charge from the Nederland facility once supplies are available. Residents collecting chips will have to load them by hand.

As a reminder, county residents can also use the County/City of Boulder year-round organic waste drop-off center at Western Disposal Services’ Transfer Station, 5880 Butte Mill Road, Boulder (½ mile east of the intersection of Pearl and 55th Street). This facility is open year-round Monday through Friday, 7 a.m.-5 p.m. and seasonally on Saturdays, 7 a.m.-5 p.m. (March to November) and 7 a.m.-2 p.m. (November to March). The cost to use the center for residents of unincorporated Boulder County is $27.87 per ton, 60 percent of the regular cost. Quantities less than a ton are charged a pro-rated amount. Boulder County pays 40 percent of the cost of this service.

The County also provides financial assistance to mountain communities who organize chipping projects serving at least 20 property owners. Subject to pre-approval by the County, communities will be reimbursed 40 percent of the cost of community chipping projects. Many communities, resident groups, homeowners associations and fire districts regularly benefit from this program, which supports wildfire mitigation efforts throughout the mountains. Applications for this year’s program are due by Saturday, June 9.