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U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree Journey to D.C. Begins Nov. 6

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

Press Release- Each year, a different national forest provides a tree to light up the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol building for the holiday season. The Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forests in partnership with nonprofit partner Choose Outdoors and Colorado Tourism will bring this special gift from Colorado to Washington, D.C. for the 2020 holiday season with special events in 10 communities along the way.

The tree’s journey officially begins Nov. 6 when it will be cut on the Uncompahgre National Forest. Before the cutting, a short ceremony will take place and include remarks by USDA Forest Service leadership, local elected officials and project partners. A livestream of the ceremony and cutting will be available for viewing online on the GMUG National Forests Facebook page.

On Nov. 10, the tree will visit 10 communities for a series of outdoor festivities hosted by local communities at fair grounds, schools, main streets, visitor centers, convention centers and retailers. Well-wishers will have a chance to take photos, sign banners on the sides of the truck, learn more about the GMUG National Forests and the great state of Colorado and more. Festivities are free and open to the public for all to enjoy.

Beginning Nov.10, the tree’s journey can be tracked in real time online at capitoltreetracker.com hosted by Spireon, Inc., with tour stops* including:

Tuesday, Nov. 10
10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. MST San Miguel CountyFairgrounds (1165 Summit St, Norwood, CO 81423)
3:30 p.m. – 6 p.m. MST Montrose Visitor Center (107 S Cascade Ave., Montrose, CO 81401)

Wednesday, Nov. 11
9:30 a.m. – 11 a.m. MST Ouray County Courthouse (541 4th St, Ouray, CO 81427)
5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. MST Grand Junction Convention Center (159 Main St, Grand Junction, CO 81501)

Thursday, Nov. 12
10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. MST Downtown Paonia (Grand Avenue, Between 2nd and 3rd Street, Paonia, CO 81428)
2 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. MST Gunnison Community School (1099 N 11th St, Gunnison, CO 81230) *For students and families.

Friday, Nov. 13
11 a.m. – 1 p.m.MST Salida High School - Student Parking Lots (26 Jones Avenue, Salida, CO 81201)

Saturday, Nov. 14
5 p.m. – 7 p.m. MST Bass Pro Shops (7970 Northfield Blvd, Denver, CO 80238)

Tuesday, Nov. 17
3 p.m. – 6 p.m. EST Asheville Outlets (800 Brevard Rd Suite 805, Asheville, NC 28806)

Friday, Nov. 20:
Delivery to West Lawn, U.S. Capitol Building

Safety of tour staff, event attendees and the tree are the top priority. Face coverings are required for all events and social distancing will be maintained. Along the way, we ask the public to be aware of the large truck’s huge blind spots, wide turns, and longer stopping distances on our roads so we can all arrive safely to our destinations.

The initiative made possible with cash and in-kind contributions from companies large and small as well as volunteers locally and across America, who provide vital support of time and resources. 2020 sponsors include Kenworth Truck Company, Apex Transportation, 42 Degrees North Media, Spireon, Inc., Hale Trailer, Chuck Leavell, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, STIHL, Truckload Carriers Association, Great West Casualty Company, Valley Crane, Red Wing Shoes, National Forest Foundation, Society of American Foresters, LexisNexis VitalChek Network, Inc., The Joy Trip Project, Loki, Montrose County, Delta County, Seirus, TravelCenters of America, Bass Pro Shops, Citizens State Bank and Vesmir.

Follow along online at www.uscapitolchristmastree.com and @uscapitolchristmastree on Facebook and Instagram.

*Subject to change. Monitor website at www.uscapitolchristmastree.com/tour for the latest updates.

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Apex Transportation to Haul the 2020 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree

Thursday, September 24, 2020

Press Release – The holiday season will be a little brighter this year with the help of Apex Transportation, as it takes on the role of transporting the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree to Washington, D.C. An annual gift to the nation, the 2020 tree will make its way to the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol building from the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forests in Colorado.

Apex Transportation was chosen as the hauler for this year’s tree at the recommendation of Great West Casualty Company and based on industry reputation in Colorado, according to Bruce Ward, president of Choose Outdoors, the non-profit partner that assists USDA Forest Service with coordinating the annual public engagement initiative. The tree will be harvested in early November before making the in-state and cross country journey, arriving at the U.S. Capitol in late November. The tree will be decorated with thousands of ornaments made by Coloradans and will light up the nation’s Capitol throughout December.

Opening its doors in 1996, Apex Transportation had humble beginnings with four trucks, a handful of employees, and ambition. With more than 65 trucks and nearing 90 employees, Apex maintains its success by remembering those early days creating strong relationships within the industry and nurturing a family-like atmosphere that keeps us rolling. With locations in Denver and Pueblo, Colorado, Apex serves the state of Colorado and surrounding states with the ability to go anywhere they are needed. It has been recognized with numerous awards from the Colorado Motor Carriers Association, along with the Pinnacol Assurance Workplace Safety Award and Great West Fleet Safety Awards.

“Being selected to be a part of such a high profile and important symbol for the American people is truly exciting beyond words for us at Apex Transportation,” said Walt Schattinger, president of Apex Transportation. “We are humbled by the graciousness of those who chose us and value their belief and trust in Apex with this incredible adventure. We are deeply honored to have the opportunity to represent the beauty of our state, the integrity of our company and tradition of our country.”

The tree will be in great hands with two Apex employees who will ensure the precious cargo is safely delivered. Theron Schmalzried has 42 years and 4 million miles of experience under his belt. He has received numerous awards during his 23 years with Apex, the most recent being the Long Haul Driver of the Month in September 2019. William “Butch” Hanna has been driving for 41 years, including 17 with Apex Transportation. With more than 105,000 hours, he also has numerous internal awards, including Short Haul Driver of the month in October 2019.

Kenworth Truck Company returns for a seventh year as a sponsor of the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree program. A specially decaled Kenworth T680 will transport the 50^th U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree provided by the USDA Forest Service. Additional transportation partners supporting the journey include Spireon, Inc., Hale Truck and Trailer, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Truckload Carriers Association, TravelCenters of America and LexisNexis VitalChek Network, Inc.

“The annual journey is only possible with the help of strong partnerships throughout Colorado and beyond state lines,” said Dana Gurdunio, District Ranger, GMUG National Forests. “We’re grateful for the resources Apex Transportation, Kenworth Truck Company and all our partners are providing to help make this the best tour to date.”

For more information on how to get involved, please visit the GMUG National Forests website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/gmug. Follow along the tree’s journey at www.uscapitolchristmastree.com.

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U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree Selected Virtually

Thursday, September 10, 2020

Press Release - Each year, one of the nation’s national forests provides the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree, which graces the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. throughout the holiday season. The Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forests, in partnership with the Architect of the Capitol, announced that this year’s U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree will be harvested from the Uncompahgre Plateau on the Ouray Ranger District.

The perfect Capitol Christmas Tree must meet specific criteria. The selected Engelmann Spruce stands 55’ tall and 25’ wide and was chosen virtually from among 10 candidates. “The challenge in selecting a tree for the West Lawn is making sure it is symmetrical, full and in the perfect scale to gracefully adorn the U.S. Capitol. In a normal year, we scour the forest for this special tree. Due to the pandemic, we used videos, pictures and measurements supplied by the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests to identify a suitable Engelmann Spruce that all Coloradans can be proud of,” said Jim Kaufmann, Director of Capitol Grounds and Arboretum for the Architect of the Capitol.

The tree will be harvested in early November before making its journey to the East Coast, arriving at the U.S. Capitol in late November. The Capitol Grounds and Arboretum team will secure and decorate the tree with thousands of handcrafted ornaments from the people of Colorful Colorado. The tree will be lit in early December 2020; the annual lighting of the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree is a time-honored tradition of more than 50 years.

Choose Outdoors, Colorado Tourism and a host of other partners, sponsors, and volunteers are contributing funding and in-kind support of the project. GMUG Forest Supervisor Chad Stewart noted that it’s been a true collaborative effort so far. “This year’s tree selection was a little nonconventional, but we are very excited to have the tree selected and look forward to the next phase of the project, planning the tree cutting ceremony,” he said.

For more information on how to get involved, please visit the GMUG National Forest website. To learn more about the history of the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree, please visit the Architect of the Capitol website.

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'Tis the season to make ornaments

Friday, August 21, 2020

The Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests (GMUG) are providing one large tree for the West Lawn and 70+ smaller companion trees to adorn offices throughout Washington, D.C. for the 2020 holiday season. Thanks to Coloradans, we are on our way to provide 10,000 handmade ornaments to decorate the trees. Interested and inspired to make your own? There's still time to submit yours, but hurry: ornaments are respectfully requested by Sept. 1.

WHAT TO MAKE

Large and small ornaments are needed. Large should be 9-12 inches in size that are colorful, reflective and weatherproof to withstand the elements. Small ornaments should be 4-6 inches and be lightweight and colorful.

Here are our 2020 themes to help determine what ornament(s) you’d like to make.

1. SMOKEY BEAR—Smokey hat, face, fire prevention messages.
2. UNIQUELY COLORADO—State welcome sign, Colorado C, state symbols.
3. AGRICULTURE—Farming, ranching.
4. WILDLIFE—Deer, elk, moose, bighorn sheep.
5. PLANTS/FLOWERS—Cactus, flowers, trees.
6. RECREATION—Hunting, fishing, camping, skiing, snowmobiling, hiking, boating.
7. MINING—Gold, silver, coal, uranium, gypsum.
8. WATER—Lakes, streams, rivers, water uses, water sports, winter sports.
9. DINOSAURS AND FOSSILS—Stegosaurus, triceratops, fossils.
10. PLACES WE LOVE—Landscapes of Colorado

WHERE TO SEND THEM

Please make sure your ornaments are dry, boxed carefully so they don’t break and include a count of how many provided. Drop off or send in your ornaments to:

Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests
Supervisor’s Office
Attn: Cande Read, 2250 South Main Street, Delta, CO, 81416

*Please make arrangements prior to dropping off ornaments by contacting Cande Read (email or phone 970-874-6609).

Ornaments are DUE BY September, 1, 2020

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U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree Journey to D.C. Begins Nov. 6

Apex Transportation to Haul the 2020 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree

U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree Selected Virtually

'Tis the season to make ornaments