The debate rages on in households across the nation every single year: do you put up a real of fake Christmas tree for the holidays?
Whether you like real or fake one thing is undeniable, the Christmas tree industry is BIG business for Texas.
According to the Texas A&M Forest Service, last year the Texas Christmas tree industry brought in $397 million to the state and employed almost 4,000 people with a payroll of more than $97 million!
In fact, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Texas Christmas tree industry is expected to be ranked second in the southern U.S. based on the average annual employment and wages!
There are other benefits to real Christmas trees as well.
Dr. Aaron Stottlemyer, the Department Head of Texas A&M Forest Service Forest Analytics told CBS Newsthat the Christmas tree industry is "crucial to supporting the trees' lifecycle, expanding trees' potential beyond their natural life and creating sustainable forests and economies."
Dr. Stottlemyer said, "Christmas tree farms are essentially young forests. They are able to provide us the same benefits as traditional forests by sequestering carbon, providing a natural habitat for wildlife, cleaning our water and providing recreational opportunities."
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow 100.3 JACK-FM
