Capitol Tree from Colorado
The 2020 Capitol Christmas tree is standing tall with thousands of twinkling lights after a 2,000-mile journey from Colorado’s National Forests.
At the lighting ceremony, US Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen told those gathered at the Capitol what Coloradans had been celebrating for several weeks.
“This year the tree comes to us from Colorado. It’s a beautiful Engleman Spruce from the Grand Mesa, Uncompaghre, and Gunnison National Forests.
Forest Supervisor Chad Stewart:
“This 82-year old Engleman Spruce is 55 feet tall and 25 feet wide. After the tree was harvested. It was placed on a trailer, secured, packed, and made ready for a two-week tour across Colorado and the country.”
The tree was harvested on November 5 and arrived at the U.S. Capitol on November 20 after that cross-country trek.
Christiansen explained how the Forest Service got involved in the annual Capitol Christmas tree tradition.
“This tradition began in 1964 when the Speaker of the House planted a live Christmas tree on the Capitol Lawn. Do you know what happened? It died. So the Capitol Architect asked the US Forest Service to deliver a Christmas tree in 1970. Since then, in the past 50 years, the Forest Service has delivered the Capitol Christmas Tree each year along with smaller companion trees to decorate the offices here in Washington, DC.
The tree is decorated with thousands of handcrafted ornaments sent by Colorado children and others.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi led the lighting of the People’s Tree on the lawn of the Capitol. The tree will remain lit from dusk to 11 pm each night through Christmas.
Trees from Colorado also lit up the Capitol lawn in 2012, 2000, and 1990.
