U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree to visit Coeur d’Alene during 2016 Tour

The U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree is visiting Coeur d’Alene!

The City is collaborating with the Idaho Panhandle National Forests to provide the public an opportunity to partake in festivities and sign the truck from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Friday, November 11. The location will be on Sherman Avenue between 1^st and 2^nd streets.

In addition to honoring Veteran’s, this Capitol Christmas Tree event is geared toward the whole family with free coffee, hot chocolate, ornament and cookie decorating, music, and more! Festivities will commence with opening remarks by Coeur d’Alene Mayor Steve Widmyer.  

“We are honored that the U.S. Capitol Christmas tree will visit Coeur d’Alene during Veteran’s Day, on its trip to Washington, D.C.” said Mayor Widmyer. “Our community looks forward to being a part of this gift to the nation as we honor our Veterans, and the joy it will bring to our own community this holiday.”

A Christmas tree has graced the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol during the holiday season for more than 50 years. This year the Payette National Forest, in partnership with nonprofit Choose Outdoors, will bring this special gift from Idaho to the U.S. Capitol.  The 80-feet-tall Engelmann Spruce will be cut on November 2 near McCall, Idaho. Once prepared for the 2,000-mile trip to Washington, D.C., and with great fanfare, the tree will leave the Payette National Forest with a caravan of caretakers, stopping for 25 community celebrations on its journey to the U.S. Capitol Christmas tree lighting ceremony in early December. Approximately 8,000 ornaments designed and created by Idaho residents, and smaller companion trees provided by the Idaho Christmas Tree Growers will be used to decorate offices inside the U.S. Capitol building and other sites throughout Washington, D.C.

The tree's transportation and special events are covered by in-kind services, donations and overall support both locally and nationwide. In addition to the U.S. Forest Service, the major 2016 supporters include KTVB TV 7, Idaho Potato Growers Association, Skybitz, Kenworth, Hale Trailer, Gary Amoth Trucking, Alaska Airlines, Seid Crane Service, Truckload Carriers Association, Eaton, University of Idaho, Meritor, Bass Pro Shops, and BrINC.

For more information on the Coeur d’Alene tour stop, please contact Shoshana Cooper, Public Affairs Officer, Idaho Panhandle National Forests, at (208) 765-7211. For related news, events and tour information, and to track the tree cross-country, visit www.capitolchristmastree.com and on Facebook @USCapitolChristmasTree and #capitolchristmastree.

About the Payette National Forest
The Payette National Forest offers the visitor over 2.3 million acres to enjoy. Everything from the deep recesses of Hell's Canyon to peaks reaching elevations of almost 9,500 feet. Dry desert grasslands compliment heavily forested acres. Gateways to the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness lead the visitor to experience the solitude of seldom traveled trails. To the west is the Hell's Canyon National Recreation Area, the deepest river gorge in North America. Stand on the canyons east rim and in some places you gaze down 8,000 feet to the Snake River that carved this canyon. Gaze across the ten-mile wide chasm into the neighboring state of Oregon. Located entirely within Idaho, the Payette NF shares lands with Adams, Idaho, Valley, and Washington Counties. For more information, visit www.fs.usda.gov/payette.

About the U.S. Forest Service
The mission of the U.S. Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land; provides assistance to state and private landowners; and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world. Public lands the Forest Service manages contribute more than $13 billion to the economy each year through visitor spending alone. Those same lands provide 20 percent of the nation’s clean water supply, a value estimated at $7.2 billion per year. For more information, see www.fs.fed.us.

About Choose Outdoors:

Choose Outdoors works to increase all American's enjoyment, appreciation and support for outdoor recreation activities that connect them to our public lands. These connections will ensure that our public lands will always be there for future generations to cherish. www.chooseoutdoors.org.