The Legacy Forest campaign — a donation that keeps growing

With the pine beetle killing a lot of the trees in Summit County, locals are looking for ways to help replenish the forests. We know that we will never live to see the full regrowth of the forests, but know that this is a step in the right direction.

[ Legacy Forest - Bristlecone Foundation ]
[ town of breckenridge - pine beetle ]
[ breckenridge ski resort - pine beetle ]

According to this Summit Daily News Article, the Legacy Forest is a "Fundraiser to benefit Bristlecone Health Services will plant trees throughout the community."

SUMMIT COUNTY — Bristlecone Health Services recently kicked off its Legacy Forest campaign, a program to raise funds and reforest an area already decimated by the pine-beetle epidemic. Bristlecone Health Services provide in-home health care, counseling and end-of-life planning.

“We wanted a program that would benefit patient care and the community on a broader level — the environment,” said Asa Armstrong, development officer for Bristlecone Foundation. “For each donation made to the Legacy Forest campaign, we'll plant a seedling.”

Armstrong said the fundraiser will help local folks with limited or no insurance get needed health care. The Bristlecone Foundation aims to raise $140,000.

“It's certainly a win-win for Summit County,” said Claudia Wiley, a resource specialist with the Summit County Open Space and Trails Department. “It's a good fundraiser for them, and it's helping us in our reforestation efforts."

Seedlings can even be planted in honor of someone, Armstrong said.

The Bristlecone Foundation's tree-planting effort is being put on with help from the Summit County Open Space and Trails Department, the Friends of the Dillon Ranger District and individual towns. A tree-planting day will likely occur sometime in June, and seedlings will be native to Summit County.

“If you plant the tree in honor of your mom, we will send a notification to the person honored,” Armstrong added.

To donate, people can either purchase holiday cards for $6, or give $20 for a seedling. Cards can be purchased at all Alpine Bank locations (except for Copper Mountain), the Summit County Community and Senior Center, the Frisco Information Station, Summit Medical Center Health Foundation and the Bristlecone Foundation office.

With every card purchase, a seedling will be planted somewhere within the county, Armstrong said. For a $20 donation, one can request that a seedling be planted in a certain area of the county, or the seedling can be taken home and planted in one's yard.According to Wiley, the campaign is still working with towns to finalize where seedlings can be planted.