Every year, a different national forest is selected to provide a tree to appear on the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building for the holiday season. This year, the tree came from the GMUG (Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison) National Forests near Norwood. Selection of the 55-foot tall Engelmann spruce began with 16 trees, which eventually made its way down to six, then down to three. The architect of the capitol chose the spruce from all the other trees in the forest.
https://vimeo.com/493538886
The tree was harvested on November 5 and began its journey at the San Miguel County Fairgrounds in Norwood on Tuesday, November 10. It landed at its final destination at the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building on Friday, November 20. Norwood residents took pride in their community and handcrafted a number of ornaments to decorate the tree.
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Images courtesy of U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree
How the tradition began
The tradition of the Capitol Christmas Tree, or “The People’s Tree,” began in 1964 when Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives John W. McCormack placed a live Christmas tree on the Capitol lawn. This tree lived three years before succumbing to wind and root damage.
In 1970, the Capitol Architect asked the U.S. Forest Service to provide a Christmas tree. Since then, a different national forest has been chosen each year to provide “The People’s Tree.” This national forest also works with state forests to provide companion trees that are smaller Christmas trees for offices in Washington, D.C.
https://youtu.be/paAs4-hqWUQ
About the GMUG National Forests
Nearly encompassing Norwood on all sides, the GMUG National Forests are a combination of three separate National Forests. Combined, these forests cover approximately 3 million acres of National Forest System land in the central and southern Rocky Mountains, and offer some of the most spectacular scenery in the Rockies.
Located on Colorado’s western slope, the GMUG is the largest national forest administrative unit in the Rocky Mountain Region and the fourth largest in the lower forty-eight states. It hosts a variety of forested and non-forested riparian areas, wetlands and a wide range of other ecological settings from alpine tundra to sage-grass prairies.
The GMUG varies in elevation from 5,800 feet above sea level to 14,309 feet on Uncompahgre Peak. The Forests include spectacular features like the 365 foot high Bridal Veil Falls near Telluride, Colorado’s tallest free-falling falls; the Grand Mesa near Grand Junction, one of the world’s largest flat top mountains which tops out over 11,000 feet in elevation; five peaks over 14,000 feet; ten federally designated wilderness areas; headwaters to three major rivers – the Gunnison, Uncompahgre and San Miguel Rivers; providing habitat to over 300 wildlife species. Additionally the GMUG contains two of Colorado’s largest earthflows as well as seven scenic byways.
The GMUG National Forest that surrounds Norwood offers ample opportunities for year-round outdoor recreation including; hunting, fishing, dirt biking and off-roading, mountain biking and cycling, camping, hiking, climbing, mountaineering and horseback riding, bird watching and star-gazing, kayaking, canoeing and stand up paddle boarding, as well as fat-biking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. Click here to check out all the recreational opportunities the GMUG has to offer around Norwood!
Wishing you all a safe, healthy and merry Christmas and happy holidays!
Resources:
https://www.uscapitolchristmastree.com/
https://www.facebook.com/USCapitolChristmasTree/