Contact: Hilary Collins, Assistant Division Manager, Boulder County Resource Conservation Division,
720-564-2224

Starting Memorial Day, mountain residents can once again drop off tree limbs and brush ('slash') at Boulder County's Waste Transfer Station and Recycling Center, 286 Ridge Road, Nederland. The site will be open through Labor Day, 2006.

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 need to 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 who would like 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 junction of Pearl and 55th streets). This facility is open year-round 7 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The facility is also open Saturdays, 7 a.m.-5 p.m from March to November and 7 a.m. -2 p.m from November to March. Residents of unincorporated Boulder County may use the center for $27.35 per ton, which is 60 percent of the regular cost to use the center. Quantities less than a ton are charged at a pro-rated amount. Boulder County pays 40 percent of the cost of this service.

Boulder County also provides financial assistance to mountain communities who organize chipping projects that serve at least 30 property owners. The Chipping Reimbursement Program will pay 40 percent of the cost of a four-day chipping project. 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 Friday, June 9.

For more information, call the Boulder County Resource Conservation Division at 720-564-2220.