11/24/2009 1:53:00 PM Kaibab provides 'Companion Trees' to accompany Capitol Christmas Tree Ten trees taken from the Kaibab
Photo/Sheila Poole
Williams Ranger District employees Roger Joos (left) and Kevin Probst (right) prepare to carry a "companion tree" to their truck.
By Sheila Poole Forest Service Southwestern Regional Office
WILLIAMS - "What a wonderful job I have! I go out and cut Christmas trees!" said Michael French, a forester with the Williams Ranger District.
French, along with a crew of district employees, spent the day of Nov. 12 in Spring Valley at the foothills of Sitgreaves Mountain to select and cut 10 "companion trees" that will make the journey to the nation's Capitol along with the 2009 Capitol Christmas tree, cut from the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests.
In addition to the 85-foot blue spruce coming from the White Mountains of Arizona, 75 smaller "companion trees" will be delivered to decorate various buildings, including the offices of Arizona's congressional delegation. Coming from all parts of the state including national forests, private and tribal lands, the trees will represent a variety of species found throughout Arizona. The trees cut from the Kaibab National Forest were Douglas and White fir.
Steve Campbell, an area agent with the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Service, is the coordinator for the program. Campbell has been traveling around the state, selecting a variety of trees, as he puts it, "to be tagged, bagged, and shipped."
What are the criteria for the companion trees? What Campbell looks for is "density and form." The trees are usually cut from open meadow areas, because they have more needles and fuller crowns.
The trees were shipped Nov. 18 to Washington, D.C. in a box van.
The Capitol Christmas 2009 companion trees will be decorated with handcrafted ornaments made by Arizonans.
Reader Comments
Posted: Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Article comment by:
lucky in the northeast
This -- your -- whole thing is so beautifully cool. Thanks for making me smile every day.
