Christmas Tree Checkoff Is Put Off

The National Christmas Tree Association will not be getting what it wanted for Christmas this year; that would have been a Christmas tree checkoff that the Christmas tree industry has been asking for since 2008. The checkoff was requested in an effort to raise money for the promotion of real trees, which have seen a drastic drop off in sales over the last several years. Unfortunately for the NCTA the fifteen cent assessment per tree on those who sold or imported more than five hundred trees per year was reported by certain media outlets as a current administration “Christmas tree tax”. This has resulted in an overwhelming public belief that a fifteen cent Christmas tree assessment is everything from greedy government tactics to a conspiracy against christians. Far from being either of these, the proposal to create an assessment on tree growers to fund research and promotional programs through the USDA was introduced during the prior administration by the Christmas tree industry in an effort to grow their business and create a positive image; much like the “Got Milk”, “Incredible Edible Egg, and “Pork, the other white meat” campaigns.