U.S. Capitol Christmas tree will come from Tongass

This year’s U.S. Capitol Christmas tree will come from the Tongass National Forest, only the second time an Alaska tree will light up the official spot.

Known as “The People's Tree” (reflecting the nickname for the U.S. House of Representatives, “The People's House”), it will stand on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol.

The only previous Alaska tree, a spruce, came from the Chugach National Forest in 2015. The tree has been selected each year since 1970 from a different national forest.

Brandon Raile, the project’s Forest Service spokesman in Alaska, said the tree will be cut down in late October or early November and go on a tour across the country as the tree is hauled from Alaska to Washington, D.C., which should take approximately two weeks, depending on logistics.

“It depends on the location of the tree and the transportation to D.C.,” he said. “Tree health is the top priority, keeping the tree in top condition as we go across the country.”

About eight to 12 candidate trees throughout the Tongass will be evaluated by regional Forest Service personnel, Raile said.

“There are very specific criteria for the trees,” he said. “We’re looking for 65- to 80-foot-tall trees that have that good, classic-quality Christmas tree shape. And in an area that is as accessible as possible. We don’t want to be cutting roads back to get to these trees, so we’re looking for things that we can fairly easily get to.”

Raile said the Architect of the Capitol is expected to visit Alaska in July to select the tree.

The Forest Service announced its selection of the Tongass on March 27.

There will be several “companion trees” also coming from the Tongass that will likely be transported via a more expedient method such as air travel, one 25-footer that will go to the U.S. Department of Agriculture headquarters, and two 12-footers that will go to the offices of the Secretary of Agriculture and the Forest Service chief in Washington, D.C.

The Forest Service Alaska Region has partnered with nonprofits Society of American Foresters and Alaska Geographic to create a conservation education campaign tied to the project, educating people nationwide on Alaska’s national forests and the multi-use mission of the agency, and will also support the tour across the country.

More information about the 2024 U.S. Capitol Christmas tree is at uscapitolchristmastree.com.

The Juneau Empire contributed reporting for this story.