The McDill Inland Lake District Secretary says free trees are available to those willing to do the work to remove them from the McDill Lakebed.

Per the DNR anyone can help themselves to a tree on the lakebed, as long as no driving is done on the lakebed and any digging is done with hand tools.

The lakebed is filled with a lot of fast growing Poplar, along with Willows and other species. Some trees are already beyond six feet tall. They say the Poplar trees are very drought hardy and grow in sand, so they may be an ideal pick.

Interested persons should only access the lakebed from public areas such as Koziczikowski Park off Minnesota Avenue, the disk golf park off Patch Street or Patch Street Bridge area, or the boat landings on Business 51 or Heffron Street.

Any trees remaining will be cut starting in Mid-October to prepare for the May 2013 refill.