For 37 years, Larry Sais has been selling native Christmas trees in and around Boulder. Along the way, he managed to get himself some help.

"Well, every year I have at least 10 family members working here," said Sais, of Boulder, who has 14 grandchildren and about 50 members of extended family in the area. His son, Vince, of Longmont and nephew, Burt Sais, of Firestone are cornerstones in the business, but so are a lot of other family members.

"I've been doing this for longer than I remember," said grandson Brendon Sais, 15. "I've been around these lots since I was very, very small."

Grandfather Sais got his start with Christmas trees from his own father, who worked at times in the lumber business. For the past few years the family has run two lots, one on the northeast corner of 30 th and Pearl streets in Boulder, behind Pollard Motors, and the other on the northwest corner of Colorado 42 and Arapahoe Road in Lafayette.

"You get to love it, because you can work in some very cool places," Sais said. "I enjoy it a lot, and I know it helps the forest a lot. You think it out, and it makes it look better."

In the fire-prone Colorado Red Zone, as many as 2.4 million acres in the Front Range, and 6.3 million acres across the state are in need of wildfire mitigation/forest restoration. Small Douglas fir and lodgepole pine, which make excellent Christmas trees, constitute a great deal of that fuel loading.

But the Sais family also conducts forestry in the southern part of the state where Balsam and sup-alpine can be harvested. Balsam fir is actually one of the most sought-after trees that are commercially grown.

For Mike Hassel, of Longmont, the species of native tree he bought from Sais on Nov. 25 wasn't as important as the fact that it would be a lot fresher than a commercially grown tree, he said.

"I've been coming to his lot for seven or eight years," said Hassel, who collected his tree along with his daughter, Vika, 10. "You know they will last forever. Other trees start losing their needles in a couple of week. With these (forest product) trees, you can go on vacation for a week and not water it, and it will still be fresh."

Management of overgrown forests, both on public and private lands, often requires cutting smaller trees. Before fire suppression, these smaller trees may have been routinely eliminated in brushfires. However, in an overgrown forest they often deprive larger trees of important nutrients and water, as well as providing a ladder for fire to climb high into the branches of other trees.

Most of the retailers involved in selling native Christmas trees are also involved in forestry efforts. Many of them go to great pains to making buying such trees educational and fun for Colorado families.

For further information about native Christmas trees, other forest products or to find a holiday tree retailer near you, please visit www.coloradoforestproducts.org.

Colorado Forest Products holiday tree retailer list

Boulder County:

Colorado Native Christmas Trees

3375 75th Street, Boulder

Farm located several hundred yards north of Valmont Road on 75th. Boulder County's longest-running native Christmas tree stand with about 1,500 native forest trees to pick from, including Douglas fir, lodgepole pine, spruce and sub-alpine fir. Reindeer and other holiday fun at the farm, as well as employees who can explain forestry efforts.

From Nov. 22 to Christmas Eve. Monday to Thursday,

8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

For further information, call Matt Poula at 720-244-4465.

Nederland Boy Scouts

The scouts will be manning a lot at the Miner's Museum, located on the traffic circle in the center of town, the intersection of Colorado 119 and 72.

Beginning Dec. 2. Mostly afternoons and evenings. Trees may be available on an honor system.

Big M Trees

Has two lot locations in Boulder County, two in the City of Boulder and one in Lafayette.

Lafayette: Southwest corner of 95th St. (Hwy. 42) and Arapaho Road.

Boulder: 1) Corner of 30th and Pearl, behind Pollard Motors.

Trees include local Douglas fir and lodgepole as well as White Fir or Balsam from southern Colorado forests.

From 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekday and weekends.

Call 303-449-2240 for more info.

Denver County

Paul Wewel's Christmas Tree Lot.

11890 W. Cedar Drive, near W. Alameda Parkway and S. Union Boulevard in West Denver.

Beginning Nov. 25. From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturdays.

Excellent native trees including spruce and sub-alpine fir.