U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree Returns to Paducah

October 4, 2017: Every year, a different national forest is selected to provide a tree to appear on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol for the Christmas season. The Kootenai National Forest, in partnership with nonprofit Choose Outdoors, will bring this year’s tree from Montana to Washington, D.C. for the 2017 season, involving more than fifteen communities along the way, including an appearance in Paducah for the second year in a row. The tree will arrive here on the afternoon of Wednesday, November 22 (Thanksgiving Eve) and will be available for viewing in conjunction with the kick-off to Paducah Power System’s Christmas in the Park.

Festivities during the tree’s visit will include the lighting ceremony for Christmas in the Park at 5:30pm, followed by a Walk Under the Lights that will allow participants to see the lights up close. Independence Bank will sponsor horse drawn trolley rides by John’s Pass Carriage Company. Lone Oak First Baptist Church will provide a shuttle service from the Park Avenue Kroger parking lot. All activities are free and open to the public.

“We are thrilled that the U.S. Capitol Christmas tree will visit Paducah for a second year,” said Andrea Underwood, Director of Community Relations for Paducah Power System. “The visit and lighting ceremony on the night before Thanksgiving gives families an opportunity to kick off the holiday season in a special way.”

The U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree is made possible thanks to companies large and small as well as volunteers locally and across America, who provide vital support of time and resources. The tree will be cut in November and prepared for the more than 2,000-mile expedition, which includes a series of community celebrations and culminates with the official tree lighting in early December. Smaller companion trees also will be provided to decorate offices inside of the U.S. Capitol building and other sites throughout Washington, D.C., along with ornaments created by Montanans.

For related news, events and tour information, and to track the tree cross-country, visit, along with Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About the Kootenai National Forest
The Kootenai National Forest is in the extreme Northwest corner of Montana and Northeast Idaho and encompasses over 2.2 million acres, an area nearly three times the size of Rhode Island. The Forest is bordered on the north by British Columbia, Canada, and on the west by Idaho. Ranges of high craggy peaks mark the Forest with Snowshoe Peak in the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness at 8,738 feet, the highest point. The Whitefish Range, Purcell Mountains, Bitterroot Range, Salish Mountains, and Cabinet Mountains are all part of the rugged terrain radiating from the river valleys. The Forest is dominated by two major rivers, the Kootenai and the Clark Fork, along with several smaller rivers and their tributaries. Two hydroelectric dams on the Clark Fork have created the Cabinet Gorge and Noxon reservoirs within the Forest boundary. For more information, visit fs.usda.gov/Kootenai.

About the U.S. Forest Service
The mission of the U.S. Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land; provides assistance to state and private landowners; and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world. Public lands the Forest Service manages contribute more than $13 billion to the economy each year through visitor spending alone. Those same lands provide 20 percent of the nation’s clean water supply, a value estimated at $7.2 billion per year. For more information, see www.fs.fed.us.

About Choose Outdoors:
Choose Outdoors works to increase all American’s enjoyment, appreciation and support for outdoor recreation activities that connect them to our public lands. These connections will ensure that our public lands will always be there for future generations to cherish. .