**Steamboat Springs, Colorado–July 28, 2026-**No need to pine over your pile of branches—we'll take your aspen, cottonwood, evergreen, and spruce limbs and give them a second life while making your home more wildfire proof. The Routt County Wildfire Mitigation Council, City of Steamboat Springs, Steamboat Resort, and SavATree are teaming up for a community event to provide free chipping of seasonal tree debris on August 22, 2026.
"The best time to start wildfire mitigation efforts on your property was about 10 years ago,” said Executive Director Josh Hankes with the Routt County Wildfire Mitigation Council. “The next best time is now! Wildfire season is far from over, so we're thrilled to be a partner on an event that offers residents an opportunity to dispose of their hazardous slash for free."
Community residents (no commercial operators) can drop off tree debris (see guidelines and restrictions) to Steamboat Resort’s Meadows Parking Lot between 9AM to 1PM on Saturday, August 22, 2026.
SavATree will mulch the material, and chips will be made available to residents from the SavATree yard at no cost.
As recommended by Routt County Wildfire Mitigation Council, reduce your home's vulnerability to wildfire by removing anything combustible from the Home Ignition Zone, immediate area around structures. That includes all vegetation, which can become the source of ignition and carry fire to your home or outbuildings. The goal is to prevent the structures from ever igniting!
Residents, who do not take advantage of the event, have larger diameter limbs or other materials, will need to dispose of items by another means. Apex’s Milner Landfill is offering a “lower-than-landfill” rate for residents to divert yard waste at the organics area of the landfill at $55 per ton.
Additionally, through November, residents can drop off their yard waste at the organics area at Milner on the fourth Friday of each month for half the organics rate. Property owners cannot leave yard material in the right of way, which will be cited and may result in a fine.
-WeServeTheCity-
Contact
Email Josh Hankes, Executive Director, Routt County Wildfire Mitigation Council, or call 201-927-1313
Email Alicia Archibald, Community Recycling Coordinator, City of Steamboat Springs, or call 719-600-8664
Email Michael Lane, Communications Manager, City of Steamboat Springs, or call 970-871-8220
Seasonal Tree Debris Chipping Community Event
WHEN: August 22, 2026, 9:00AM to 1:00PM
WHERE: Steamboat Ski Resort - Meadows Parking Lot, 2400 Pine Grove Rd
WHAT: Free Tree Debris Chipping (Residential only)
GUIDELINES: Materials
- Accepted materials include trees, tree branches, small diameter logs and brush (cut away from root mass).
Restrictions
No logs or branches with a diameter greater than 4 inches
No roots, rootwads, stumps or anything else that grows below the soil
No materials that contain dirt, sand, gravel or rocks
No construction, building or other man-made materials
No lumber, fence posts or signs
No materials that contain any metal (nails, screws, fencing), string or other man-made materials
No herbaceous / non-woody plant material