U.S. Forest Service

Capitol Christmas Tree, Destinations, Joy To America, Photography, Story Maps, U.S. Forest Service / 11.12.2023

The journey of the 2023 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree is now accessible as an interactive Storymap!. Each stop along the way from the Harvest in the Monongahela National Forest to the Lighting Ceremony in Washington D.C. can be traced graphically with its exact location and a site specific photo album. If you were at any of our public events or if there were a few you might have liked to attend here you can experience a bit of the joy that is such a big part of this...

Capitol Christmas Tree, Choose Outdoors, Commentary, Essays, Joy To America, National Forests, Native Culture, Podcast, Public Land, U.S. Forest Service / 04.12.2023

Immediately following my return from Washington D.C. - I mean on the flight home – I was inundated with kind words of support and condolences for the demise of my Christmas Tree. Due to excessively high winds early in last week of November 2023, it is indeed true that the beautifully decorated holiday tree provided to the White House by the National Park Service sadly fell over. News reports in photographs showed the tree lying on its side. But as I graciously replied to each of these thoughtful...

Black History, Black Lives Matter, Capitol Christmas Tree, National Forests, National Parks, U.S. Forest Service / 20.11.2023

The 2023 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree was harvested and packed for transport to Washington D.C. with the assistance of the young men and women from the U.S. Job Corps of Harpers Ferry West Virginia. This year, all were Black or Hispanic. As much as I would like to believe that this is not a big deal, I must acknowledge that this represents the change that we all must strive for in order to preserve the long-term sustainability of our natural resources both here in...

Capitol Christmas Tree, Choose Outdoors, Environmental Protection, National Forests, Native Culture, Public Land, U.S. Forest Service / 14.11.2022

After eight years of following the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree I often forget that not everyone has heard about it. Though the People’s Tree is harvested from a different national forest every year, the primary tenants of the story remain the same. Our goal is to educate a broad general audience on the amazing work performed by the USDA Forest Service to protect and preserve the precious natural resources of tall trees across America. Organized by the nonprofit Choose Outdoors, we put together a coalition of support among...

Adventure Activism, Everyone In A Park, National Forests, National Monuments, National Parks, Public Land, Sierra Club, U.S. Forest Service / 07.10.2022

Every year on my birthday I renew my annual National Park pass. This small monetary investment of $80 provides me with access to hundreds of federally managed recreation areas and historic monuments across the United States. I am truly grateful for a lifetime of joy and adventure in the exploration of our public lands and national heritage sites. To assure their continued protection for years to come I make a gift of a second park pass to someone in our community who can truly use it. This year...

Capitol Christmas Tree, Choose Outdoors, Joy To America, National Forests, On Assignment, Public Land, U.S. Forest Service / 16.11.2021

This weekend I will be in Washington D.C. to deliver and photograph my seventh U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree. As one of the greatest honors of my life, each year I am tasked to tell the story of the United States Forest Service and its efforts to protect and preserve our natural resources through the harvest and transport of a tall evergreen tree from one of the 154 national forests to our nation’s capital. Known as the People’s Tree this majestic conifer stands as a monument to our shared...