BRENTWOOD, Tenn., Nov. 27, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The holiday tradition of picking up the perfect tree from a corner lot or tree farm and bringing it home atop the family vehicle is just not possible for the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree. Averaging about 80 feet in height, the "People's Tree" requires much more thought and planning for the approximately 3,000 mile trip "home" from Willamette National Forest in Oregon to Washington D.C.
There's a long-standing tradition of selecting a different National Forest each year to provide a tree to appear on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol for the Christmas season. This year, the Willamette National Forest, in partnership with nonprofit Choose Outdoors, provided this special gift to Washington, D.C. for the 2018 season with support from several volunteers and sponsors, including Permit Wizard as the transportation permit sponsor for the fifth year running.
Because the "People's Tree" is so large and extends well beyond standard federal trailer length and load width limitations, oversize/overweight transportation rules are followed. Routes are carefully planned early on to avoid hang-ups, and permits are pulled from every state the tree travels through. Permit Wizard's vast knowledge of these requirements and the U.S. transportation system help ensure this cross-country trip goes without a hitch.
"Permit Wizard is honored to support the 2018 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree tour," said Jeff Piefke, general manager at LexisNexis® VitalChek Network Inc., which manages Permit Wizard. "This is a wonderful opportunity for communities across the country to celebrate both the start of the holiday season and our National Forests."
In early November, the "People's Tree" was cut and prepared for its 3,000-mile trek, passing through a number of community celebrations culminating with the official tree lighting ceremony in Washington D.C. in early December. Also making the trip is a number of smaller companion trees to decorate offices inside the U.S. Capitol building and other sites throughout Washington, D.C.
For news, events and tour information, and to track the tree cross-country, visit http://www.capitolchristmastree.com, along with Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About Permit Wizard
Permit Wizard (https://permitwizard.com) is a service of LexisNexis® VitalChek Network Inc., providing permitting services for over dimensional permits from coast-to-coast through a secure web-based application, personal attention by experienced staff, and solid relationships with state and local government agencies. LexisNexis VitalChek Network Inc. also provides secure online ordering for vital records (http://www.vitalchek.com).
About the Willamette National Forest
With more than 1.5 million acres, the Willamette National Forest is home to eight wilderness areas, including the popular Three Sisters Wilderness and Mt. Jefferson Wilderness, a variety of backpacking and day hike opportunities, waterfalls, wildflowers, mountain bike trails, boating, swimming and much more! The varied landscape of high mountains, narrow canyons, cascading streams, and wooded slopes offers excellent opportunities for visitors and make the forest valuable for many purposes. For more information, visit fs.usda.gov/Willamette.
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 http://www.fs.fed.us.
SOURCE VitalChek Network Inc
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