10/25/2023
Brentwood, TN & Atlanta, GA — Each year, a national forest provides a tree to light up the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol building for the holiday season. The Monongahela National Forest, in partnership with nonprofit partner Choose Outdoors will bring the 2023 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree from West Virginia to Washington, D.C., with support from sponsors including Permit Wizard from LexisNexis® VitalChek Network.
The 63-foot-tall Norway Spruce will be harvested from the Monongahela National Forest in early November and prepared for the nearly 1,000-mile expedition. With the theme “Endlessly Wild and Wonderful,” the journey will include a series of outdoor community celebrations across West Virginia before being delivered to the U.S. Capitol on Nov. 17, where it will be decorated with handmade ornaments specially made by West Virginians. Smaller Christmas trees also will be providedto servicemembers stationed at Joint Base Andrews and offices throughout Washington, D.C.
Permit Wizard will support the 2023 program with permitting services to ensure the tree is transported safely from West Virginia to Washington, DC. Due to the size of the “People’s Tree”, transporters must follow oversized transportation rules and carefully plan routes to avoid disruptions. Various state laws require transporters to pull permits as they move along the designated route. Permit Wizard’s knowledge of these state requirements and the U.S. transportation system is helping safeguard the tree’s delivery.
"We're absolutely delighted that Permit Wizard is at the wheel once more to ensure the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree makes its journey to Washington D.C. safely," said Haywood Talcove, CEO of LexisNexis Special Services Inc. which manages the LexisNexis VitalChek Network, Inc and Permit Wizard. "This journey is more than just a delivery—it's about bringing people together to kickstart the holiday season and continue this wonderful holiday tradition. The process of securing route approvals is a breeze with Permit Wizard, making it the go-to tool for this massive transportation undertaking since it easily facilitates application submissions for route approval. It's heartwarming to play a part in a tradition that brings joy to our Nation’s Capital."
“The annual journey is only possible with the help of strong community partnerships throughout West Virginia and beyond state lines,” said Bruce Ward, President of Choose Outdoors. “We’re grateful for the time and resources Permit Wizard provides to help make this the best year yet.”
For news, events, and tour information, Visit uscapitolchristmastree.com, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest tree delivery tour information, news and events.
About Permit Wizard
Permit Wizard (www.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 also provides secure online ordering for vital records (www.vitalchek.com).
Tile photo by James Edward Mills.
About LexisNexis Risk Solutions
LexisNexis® Risk Solutions provides customers with information-based analytics and decision tools that combine public and industry-specific content with advanced technology and algorithms to assist them in evaluating and predicting risk and enhancing operational efficiency. Headquartered in metro Atlanta, Georgia, the company has offices throughout the world, serves customers in more than 190 countries and territories and is part of RELX. For more information, please visit LexisNexis Risk Solutions and RELX.