Press release

JUNEAU – A beautiful Sitka spruce from the Wrangell Ranger District in the Tongass National Forest has been selected to represent Alaska as the 2024 U.S. Capitol Christmas tree.

The tree symbolizes Alaskans’ connection to the land they call home, as well as the special relationship between the forests and the tribal communities, partners and sponsors who have joined together to send this unique holiday gift to the U.S. Capitol.

The tree was selected by the director of the Capitol Grounds and Arboretum for Capitol Architect Jim Kaufmann and is one of eight candidate trees he recently inspected in the forest.

“The trees in the Tongass National Forest are large and impressive, but the tree chosen to grace the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol had to be a perfect tree,” Kaufmann said. “The rainforest provides perfect growing conditions, so we had so many great tree candidates to choose from. And in the end, I know we found the perfect Sitka spruce to represent Alaska and its national forests.”

The Capitol Christmas Tree project is led by the Forest Service’s Alaska Region, which includes the Tongass and Chugach national forests. This is the first time the Tongass has provided the Christmas tree for the U.S. Capitol.

“It is a great privilege for the People’s Tree to come from the Tongass this year,” said Frank Sherman, Tongass National Forest Superintendent. “Our staff is thrilled to be part of this historic endeavor, and the Wrangell community has been a great partner. We can’t wait to bring this beautiful tree to the United States and introduce them to the unique wonders of Alaska’s national forests.”

The tree will be cut down in late October and loaded onto a special 82-foot trailer. After a farewell ceremony in Wrangell, it will stop in Ketchikan before being transported by ship to Seattle. From Seattle, it will begin a coast-to-coast whistlestop tour, visiting communities across the country to tell the story of the folk tree from Alaska’s national forests.

Once the tree arrives in Washington DC and is delivered to the Capitol, the Architect of the Capitol team will decorate the tree with thousands of handcrafted ornaments made by Alaskans across the state. The tree will be lit in early December during a public ceremony hosted by the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Sitka spruce is native to Alaska, found in the rainforests of the Tongass National Forest in southeast Alaska and in the geographically diverse Chugach National Forest over 750 miles to the northwest. As the largest spruce species in the world and the third largest tree overall, it is fittingly the official tree of Alaska, a state with its own grandiose stature. The location of the selected tree remains secret until harvest.

The U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree initiative is a 54-year-old tradition in which one of America’s 154 national forests provides a tree for the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol at Christmastime. The project is made possible through the support of partners such as the nonprofit Society of American Foresters and Alaska Geographic, monetary and in-kind donations from businesses large and small, and volunteers from across Alaska and across the United States.

Learn more and follow the journey of the 2024 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree on the website.