City of Chelan and Cascadia Conservation District offer free yard waste disposal events

CHELAN - In an effort to help residents reduce wildfire risk and improve air quality, the City of Chelan and Cascadia Conservation District are hosting two Free Yard Waste Disposal Events on Saturday, April 20, and Saturday, April 27. The events will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on both days at the Chelan Transfer Station, located at 23235 State Highway 97A, across from Walmart.

The events are open to all Lake Chelan Valley residents and aim to encourage the proper disposal of vegetation, which can help minimize the risk of wildfires and decrease the impact of outdoor burning on air quality. Accepted items include trees and limbs less than 8 feet long and 12 inches wide, leaves, pine needles, and shrubs. However, rocks, plastic bags, grass clippings, sod, root wads, and weeds will not be accepted.

Cascadia Conservation District and the City of Chelan are also providing tips for creating defensible space around homes and structures. These include pruning trees and shrubs to create a 5-foot non-combustible space, raking leaves and pine needles, cleaning gutters and roofs of flammable debris, cutting vegetation under decks and eaves, and mowing lawns and open spaces.

Patrick Haggerty, a representative from Cascadia Conservation District, is available to answer any questions about the event and can be reached at patrickh@cascadiacd.org.

The Free Yard Waste Disposal Events are made possible through a partnership between the Cascadia Conservation District, the City of Chelan, Chelan County Public Works, and the Department of Ecology.