Summit County Citizens Voice

The 1981 national Christmas tree.

National tour to promote forest conservation and outdoor recreation

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY —After being harvested from the White River National Forest in early November, this year’s national Christmas tree will tour the country, with 30 stops scheduled to promote forest conservation and outdoor recreation.

The tour includes several stops in Colorado, including Dillon, sometime in early November.

“The Capitol Christmas Tree provides the chance to celebrate the conservation legacy of our national forests, the outdoor recreation opportunities they provide, and the importance of stewardship and restoration of our nation’s forests,” said White River National Forest supervisor Scott Fitzwilliams.

The tree will be harvested on the Blanco Ranger District near Meeker, then wrapped and transported on a custom-decorated Mack Pinnacle model truck driven by former U.S. Senator, Ben Nighthorse Campbell. The tour will cover more than 3,000 miles in 23 days, with numerous stops in Colorado, as well as a half-dozen other states.

“Colorado is synonymous with outdoor recreation, and we are honored to provide a gift to the nation that will inspire people across the country to enjoy the outdoors,” said Al White, director of the Colorado Tourism Office.

Once the tree arrives in Washington, D.C., it will be decorated with  more than 5,000 ornaments handmade by Colorado children depicting the tree’s theme, “Celebrating the Great Outdoors.” Children who submit ornaments are eligible to enter a drawing to win a trip to the nation’s capital to light the tree with Speaker of the House John Boehner at a ceremony in early December.

After the lighting ceremony, the Capitol Christmas Tree will be available for public viewing throughout the holiday season. The Tree is lit nightly from dusk until 11 p.m.

For more information on the 2012 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree and to track the tree’s route, visit www.CapitolChristmasTree2012.com.

You can also follow the tree on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

The route and stops:

•                Saturday, November 3: Meeker, Colo. will host the first celebration before the tree begins its nationwide tour.

•                Rangely, Colo.

•                Steamboat Springs, Colo.

•                Dillon, Colo.

•                Glenwood Springs, Colo.

•                Grand Junction, Colo.

•                Montrose, Colo.

•                Cortez, Colo.

•                Pagosa Springs, Colo.

•                Alamosa, Colo.

•                Colorado Springs, Colo.

•                Denver

•                Greeley, Colo.

•                La Junta, Colo.

•                Albuquerque, N.M.

•                Amarillo, Texas.

•                Dallas

•                Oklahoma City

•                Kansas City, Mo.

•                St. Louis, Mo.

•                Nashville, Tenn.

•                Atlanta

•                Asheville, N.C.

•                Greensboro, N.C.

•                Staunton, Va.

•                Allentown, Pa.

•                Milford, Pa.

•                Monday, November 26: Tree delivered to the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol.

Filed under: Colorado, US Forest Service, White River National Forest Tagged: | Capitol Christmas Tree, Christmas, Colorado, national christmas tree, White River National Forest