Branching Out: A Search for Christmas in Alaska's Rainforest

The tradition of having a Christmas tree on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol can be formally traced back to 1964. It was at this time that Speaker McCormack asked the Architect of the Capitol to partner with the United States Forest Service (USFS) to select a tree for the U.S. Capitol. This opportunity allows various regions from around the country to have a tree from their home forest service region proudly displayed at the U.S. Capitol, and it celebrates the diversity of America's culture and expanse of wild land management through the country.

The AOC starts planning for each Christmas tree more than a year and a half in advance of the actual tree selection. We work closely with the USFS Washington, D.C., office and the selected national forest to select the People's Tree. This year, the tree will be coming from the Tongass National Forest in Southeast Alaska (Tongass). This is not the first time that the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree has come from Alaska. The tree last came from the Chugach National Forest in Alaska in 2015. At more than 16.8 million acres, the Tongass is the largest national forest in the country. It is also the largest remaining temperate rainforest in the world. To help narrow the search for the perfect tree, the USFS focused its search on a unique portion of the Tongass known as the Wrangell Ranger District. This area includes more than 1.7 million acres and includes the Stikine River, the fastest navigable river in North America, and the Anan Wildlife Observatory which offers unique viewing opportunities to see bears, eagles and salmon.

The Tongass is the largest national forest in the country and home to a wide variety of wildlife.

As Director of Capitol Grounds and Arboretum, I have the distinct pleasure and honor to select the tree on behalf of the Architect of the Capitol. This task is not taken lightly as the tree represents the land, people and culture from the selected national forest. The first step of the tree selection process is to meet with the regional USFS Christmas tree lead representative to discuss specifics of what makes good candidate trees. During our meetings, I emphasized that the tree must be 25-30 feet wide at the base and 55-70 feet tall. The tree must be full and cannot have any flaws such as a crooked trunk or excessive bare areas. Just like selecting a tree for your home, we look for the perfect tree. Unlike in a home, we cannot hide imperfections by placing the tree in a corner. This Christmas tree will be visible from all angles as it graces the West Front Lawn of the U.S. Capitol.

This year, besides in person searches to find the perfect tree, the USFS used technology to help identify candidate trees for me to review. Employing the use of drones, ground and air-based light detection and ranging (LiDAR) helps narrow selections from the vast expanse of land in the Wrangell Ranger District. Even though there are millions of trees in a forest, a well-shaped and even grown tree is a rare find. Trees in a forest grow together in stands, often shading out one side of the canopy. The tree also needs to be very healthy, often growing in an open area with a nearby water source. Lastly, the tree has to be in a location where it can be harvested and transported with minimal environmental impact.

Wrangell is home to the Tlingit, an indigenous tribe rich in tradition and culture.

After a long flight across the country, I finally arrived in Wrangell, Alaska, and was greeted by my USFS counterparts. Wrangell is a small island town of 1,500 people. The native Tlingit tribe also warmly welcomed me and introduced me to the historic culture of the people representing the land and waterways they have steward for thousands of years. I was educated about the local culture and historical significance of totem poles and the meanings they have to each family. I learned about the modern-day way of life in Wrangell including living off the land for substance survival and sharing between friends and families. I also learned of the tragedies and struggles endured by the community including a devastating landslide in November of last year. It is obvious that the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree is important not only to the USFS but to the local community that welcomes the opportunity to share their life and culture with the whole country.

Safety is a top priority for the team and our expedition to review candidate trees starts with a typical safety briefing discussing personal protective equipment and other potential safety concerns. The typical briefing includes slips, trips and falls as well as other issues including being aware of vegetation such as the densely thick devil’s club and cow parsnip. We must be aware of both plants during trips to the forest to avoid being stuck by sharp, fine needle-like thorns or being subject to phototoxins that result in a chemical skin irritation that mirror third-degree burns. This safety briefing also includes additional hazards including water and boating safety as well as wildlife and firearm safety. From day one, I was reminded of how special the rainforests around Wrangell are and was eager to see the candidate trees that were selected by the USFS team.

Boat trips were necessary to go from one island to another to inspect candidate trees.

Usually, the trip to see the candidate trees involves spending hours in a USFS rig traveling hundreds of miles of logging roads. However, this trip is a bit different than other selection trips I have conducted in the past. A short trip to the ranger harbor is conducted and we donned our assigned flotation winter jackets as we boarded the assigned USFS vessels. The boats navigate through pea soup thick fog out of the harbor and into the calm Pacific Ocean. It's a unique area where the fast flowing and glacial silt filled Stikine River converges with the Pacific Ocean. The water is calm, but my nerves were on edge.

After an hour-long scenic trip across the water, I was under the impression that our candidate tree would be in close proximity. However, the uninhabited island on which we docked is more than 15 miles wide and contains more than a 100 miles of old logging roads to explore. This required a deeper journey into the island on another hour-long drive through the bumpy roads. This type of trip to see candidate Christmas trees repeats itself throughout the selection visit. One visit after another to review each candidate tree is a beautiful and unique journey filled with lush landscapes and wildlife. Whenever we stop to review the trees, we check the available technical data and review the LiDAR summary to detect unseen flaws. I was awestruck by the beauty and uniqueness of each tree.

Careful inspections are required before selecting the perfect tree from this vast forest.

As I discussed each tree with the USFS team, we also had to consider how the tree will be harvested and transported to the U.S. Capitol. Each year, the selected Christmas tree is placed on an 80-foot extended trailer and makes whistle stop tours on its journey from the forest to Washington, D.C. These stops allow people from across the country a chance to celebrate the tree and recognize the state and local national forest of origin. It is also a chance for people to be educated about the importance of the outdoors and the many benefits provided by nature.

A Christmas tree coming from an Alaskan island has its own set of challenges. The tree has a long journey to make and must have a fresh supply of water. Typically, the tree is harvested in late October or early November and transported with the trunk wrapped in a large "bladder" to provide the tree water until it reaches the U.S. Capitol. This year's Christmas tree will make the longest and most demanding journey under my tenure, a journey that includes having the tree subjected to saltwater exposure. I was happy to hear that the USFS is exploring alternate methods of harvest and transportation to ensure that the tree is not damaged during its long journey. These methods include the idea of attempting to "root wad" the tree at harvest instead of the typical cutting at the trunk. The goal of this method is to air excavate and preserve about 1/3 of the tree's fine root system. The tree will then be placed on the trailer and supplied with fresh water as it is shrink-wrapped and protected from saltwater during its weeklong barge trip to the Port of Seattle.

Majestic mountains rise from the waters and ancient forests stretch towards the sky in Wrangell, Alaska.

The week came to an end and I had to make the decision about the best tree that will be called the People's Tree. I reviewed my notes, USFS data and documents and had final discussions with the Wrangell team about the candidate trees. Ultimately, I think about the one tree and experience that stands out the most; this year that proved difficult as each experience was unique in its own way. I remember the day when we were traveling on a logging road making our way around the switchbacks and brush, a pack of four wolves were standing in the middle of the road. In true Alaska fashion, the wolves immediately started to run up the road with the USFS convoy in tow. The wolves darted to the side and disappeared into the brush. I understand that this was a rare sighting, even for the locals. I also remembered another day, when we are fortunate to learn about the importance of various totem poles and petroglyphs with significant meaning to the Tlingit tribe that has lived in this area for hundreds of years. I associate each experience with a special tree and deciding which one will be the one was no easy task. But on one special cloudy day, as we see rugged mountains, rocky beaches and lush forest, we pulled to the side and there I saw the one, a 75 feet tall and more than 30 feet wide beautiful spruce tree. Just at the side of the road, the tree was healthy and towering over the nearby young aspen trees. I knew this was the one.

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The Wrangell Ranger Station was home base to the Christmas tree selection team led by Jim Kaufmann.

The journey is complete, and the Christmas tree is now in the very capable hands of the USFS, the Wrangell Ranger District and the people of Alaska. The next step for us at the Architect of the Capitol is to prepare for the arrival of the Christmas tree around Thanksgiving. This effort requires the professionalism and teamwork of many jurisdictions. Communications and event planning is coordinated. Christmas lights are checked and prepared. Equipment and ground protection is installed. Most of all, our arborists prepare to work tirelessly from the tree arrival to the tree lighting ceremony setting up and decorating the tree to ensure that the People's Tree creates memorable experiences for all who will come to the U.S. Capitol to view its grandeur and enjoy the holiday spirit. After all, in true AOC fashion, we are always planning to serve, preserve and inspire.