Not to be sappy, but it's Oregon's time to shine.
The U.S. Forest Service announced today in Sweet Home that Oregon has been selected to provide the 2018 United States Capitol Christmas Tree.
The tree will come from the Sweet Home Ranger District of the Willamette National Forest. It, along with 70 smaller companion trees and 10,000 ornaments, will travel to Washington D.C. later this year. The public tree-lighting ceremony will be held in early December.
The Capitol Tree will sit on the West Lawn of the Capitol Building, and the additional trees will be used to decorate government buildings and other public spaces.
To honor the 50th anniversary of the National Trails System Act and the 175th commemoration of the Oregon Trail, the theme of the 2018 Capitol Christmas tree is "Find Your Trail!"
In recognition of the two anniversaries, the Capitol Christmas Tree will travel eastward from Oregon on the reverse path of the Oregon Trail.
Oregonians will make handmade ornaments that celebrate the cultural history, people, and landscapes of the state throughout 2018.
A different national forest has been chosen to provide a tree each year since 1970 by the U.S. Forest Service. The last time the Capitol Christmas Tree came from Oregon was in 2002.
