LINCOLN – The Alcona County Conservation District’s ordering deadline for the 2016 spring tree sale is April 7, according to District Manager Janet Reins.

Reins said although there are grants to pay for some employees for the district from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, much of the operating costs for the district – which gives free services – are from the sale.

“Basically it’s the biggest fundraiser of the year,” she said. “We don’t get any operation funding from the state or feds and we have to survive on our own. The tree sale usually brings in a few thousand to keep us going.”

Some of the items that are on sale are special to the area, Reins said.

“We make sure that the trees we get for this area are suited for the climate and the soils around here,” she said. “We have some different trees; some prefer wetter soil, some need full sun, others do well in the shade, we don’t have anything exotic that isn’t going to survive.”

Reins said the conservation district also is offering several kinds of fruit trees.

“Within a few years they will start bearing fruit,” she said. “Then we have a lot of small native shrub species and ornamental bushes as well.”

Reins said there are many different resources provided free to the public from the conservation district.

“We’re basically a locally elected, non-partisan elected entity of state government,” she said. “Our purpose is to promote wise land use through technical assistance and education.”

According to Reins, members of the community can refer to them about issues with property, plants, invasive species and many other topics.

She said there also is a forester who provides information on forest lands on private property, including recommendations if people are going to sell their timber.

“All these services are free,” she said. “We’re able to keep a forester from a grant through the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.”

Reins said there are a few reasons people should go with the conservation tree district versus a big box store’s greenhouse other than supporting the conservation district.

“We select the trees and they are carefully selected to go with the environment,” she said. “Most of the trees are seedlings so you can buy a lot of trees for a really low amount of money.”

Also, the majority of the plants are grown in Michigan and support Michigan greenhouse and nursery owners.

Reins said trees ordered through the program must be picked up by buyers on April 23 at the Alcona County Fairgrounds beginning at 9 a.m. through 1 p.m. She said there will be limited amounts of extra trees at the fairgrounds that can be purchased by the public.

New this year is the ability to use credit cards when ordering, Reins said. More information can be found by visiting www.alconaconservation.org or by calling 724-5272.

Jason Ogden can be reached via email at jogden@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5693. Follow Jason on Twitter @jo_alpenanews.