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Six Rivers National Forest

Announcing the 2021 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree Tour

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2021 US Capitol Christmas Tree tour

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 Six Rivers National Forest in partnership with nonprofit partner Choose Outdoors will bring this special gift from California to Washington, D.C. for the 2021 holiday season with a series of special events in communities along the way.

Festivities will be hosted by local communities at parks and plazas, schools, memorials and monuments, stadiums, main streets and even a parade. Well-wishers will have a chance to sign the banners on the sides of the truck, learn more about the Six Rivers National Forest, purchase U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree merchandise and more. Beginning Oct.29, the tree’s journey can be tracked in real time online at capitoltreetracker.com hosted by Spireon, Inc. Festivities are free and open to the public for all to enjoy. The schedule of events includes:

Friday, Oct. 29
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Del Norte Visitor Center (1001 Front Street, Crescent City, CA 95531)
4:00 – 6:00 p.m. Eureka Waterfront (Madaket Square Boardwalk, D Street, Eureka, CA 95501)

Saturday, Oct. 30
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Willow Creek Mainstreet (CA Hwy-299, Willow Creek, CA 95573)
4:00 – 6:00 p.m. Fortuna River Lodge (1800 Riverwalk Drive, Fortuna, CA 955340)

Sunday, Oct. 31 
12:00 – 3:00 p.m. Pear Tree Shopping Center (504 East Perkins St, Ukiah, CA, 95540)

Monday, Nov. 1
3:00 – 5:00 p.m. Vallejo Waterfront Ferry Stop (289 Mare Island Way, Vallejo, CA 94590)

Tuesday, Nov. 2
3:00 – 6:00 p.m. Dixon May Fair (655 South 1st Street, Dixon, CA 95620)

Wednesday, Nov. 3
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. California State Capitol (1010 L Street, Sacramento, CA 95814)
5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Mother Lode Fairgrounds (220 Southgate Rd, Sonora, CA 95370)

Thursday, Nov. 4
12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Downtown Mariposa (Hwy 140 between 9th and 10th Street, Mariposa, CA 95338)

Saturday, Nov. 6
8:30 – 10:30 a.m. Rose Bowl Stadium (1001 Rose Bowl Drive, Pasadena, CA 91103)
3:00 – 5:00 p.m. Redlands West Pearl Avenue (between Eureka and Orange Streets Redlands, CA 92374)

Tuesday, Nov. 9
10:00 – 11:00 a.m. Petrified Forest National Park (1 Park Road, Petrified Forest, AZ 86028)

Thursday, Nov. 11
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. New Mexico Veteran’s Memorial (1100 Louisiana Blvd SE #5009, Albuquerque, NM 87108)

Saturday, Nov. 13
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Downtown Fayetteville (Northwest Avenue & West Dickson Street, Fayetteville, AR 72701)
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Bass Pro Shops National Headquarters (1935 S Campbell Ave., Springfield, MO 65807

Tuesday, Nov. 16:
6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Williamsport Town Hall, 2 N Conococheague St., Williamsport, MD 21795

Friday, Nov. 19
Delivery to West Lawn, U.S. Capitol Building

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

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.

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

U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree Announces Essay Contest

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2021 USCCT LOGO

EUREKA, Calif., September 13, 2021— For more than 50 years, the Speaker of the House of Representatives in Washington, D.C., has asked the USDA Forest Service to provide a tree to adorn the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol for the holiday season. This year, the Six Rivers National Forest will proudly provide the tree and select a local 5th grader to be named as the official youth tree lighter in a three-county-wide essay contest.

The youth tree lighter may have the opportunity to participate in the tree harvest ceremony, tree lighting ceremony and other local events. Events may be virtual or in-person, and any in-person events will occur in accordance with CDC guidelines.

The youth will be selected by a panel consisting of personnel from the USDA Forest Service, County Offices of Education and the Board of Supervisors from Del Norte, Humboldt, and Trinity counties, and by office of Representative Jared Huffman, based on the criteria below.

The competition is open to 5th grade students in Del Norte, Humboldt, and Trinity counties. Students are asked to compose an essay about the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree with the prompt, “What does the theme ‘Six Rivers, Many Peoples, One Tree’ mean to you?”

In addition to the essay, applicants may choose to include a one-page supporting attachment relating the theme to an aspect of science, technology, engineering, arts, and/or mathematics (STEAM) for an interdisciplinary approach.

Submissions will be evaluated on mechanics of grammar, spelling and construct, content, and STEAM integration. The submission should not exceed a 500-word essay with one additional page of illustration/supporting data – all electronic.

Students should submit their essays electronically to their respective County Office of Education (COE) office by Sept. 24.

Each Office of Education will submit their top five (5) entries to the U.S. Forest Service, and the winning submission will be selected and notified in mid-October.

All submissions must be accompanied by the consent form from a parent or guardian for use of the product as well as consent to appear in media. All participants may be recognized by the U.S. Forest Service.