argument for live Christmas trees.

The fun of going into the crisp outdoors to find the perfect tree. The beauty of real branches upenung up to cradle long time favorite ornaments. The subtle scent of evergreen that says the holidays are here.

For generations real Christmas trees have stood at the center of our most chrished holiday traditions, but did you know that by choosing a real tree you can do something beautiful for the forest?

Christmas trees are grown on managed forestlands which are usually family owned. In managed forests a balance is carefully maintained between our need for wood and paper and the needs of the environment to remain healthy and abundant. That's why for every tree harvested in a managed forest, up to three more are planted each spring. And the millions of new trees help to keep the air and water clean and provide habitat for all sorts of wildlife and prevent soil erosion.

Also there are plenty of ways to recycle a tree when the holidays are over from reusing the wood to donating it for processing to be used in playgrounds.

So I plea. Buy a real tree and put something pretty under it for me.