ELKINS, W.Va. — West Virginia will be the source of this year’s U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree. The Monongahela National Forest was selected to provide the tree which will stand on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol building.
The tree, known as “The People’s Tree” is obtained from a different National Forest in the United States each year. This will be the third time the Monongahela National Forest has been selected to provide the tree. The Monongahela was the source of the first U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree in 1970 and then was selected for the honor again in 1976.
“The Capitol Christmas Tree is a wonderful, historic tradition that brings our great country together during the holidays, and I am thrilled that the 2023 tree will be from West Virginia’s Monongahela National Forest,” said U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. “The 2023 Capitol Christmas Tree will represent the wild and wonderful nature of the Mountain State including our remarkable forestry and wildlife, for the first time since 1976. I’m grateful to the Forest Service for their hard work and partnership on this event, and I look forward to celebrating this honor with my fellow West Virginians and Americans.”
Monongahela National Forest has partnered with the non-profit Choose Outdoors to assist in the creation of a year-long conservation education campaign about the multi-use mission of the Forest Service in support of a multi-stop tour in November that will take the selected tree around West Virginia and surrounding states before delivering it to the Architect of the Capitol in Washington, D.C. The initiative is made possible with support from the presenting sponsor, 84 Lumber, and with cash and in-kind contributions from companies large and small, along with vital support from volunteers locally and across America.
“It’s wonderful to have this opportunity to celebrate the diverse and complex natural ecosystems and cultural heritage that thrive here in central Appalachia. Monongahela National Forest and West Virginia really are endlessly wild and wonderful, and we are excited to share these special places over the next year on a national level, reaching both residents and folks who may have never experienced our home among the hills,” said Shawn Cochran, Forest Supervisor.
The announcement this week from the U.S. Forest Service kicks off a year-long celebration with the them of “Endlessly Wild and Wonderful” to connect people to West Virginia’s public lands.