Millennium Tree arrives today in Washington, D.C.

Matthew Evans has been awaiting today's arrival in Washington, D.C., of a 65-foot-tall, 10,000-pound Colorado blue spruce - the one he selected two years ago to be the Millennium Tree at the U.S. Capitol this holiday season.

It was the first of several trees the Capitol's senior landscape architect saw before making a selection. He knew it was the one.

"I kept it a secret," he said recently from his office. "I didn't say anything until I saw them all. It'd be like shopping for a house. You wouldn't necessarily buy the first one. You'd look around."

The tree was cut Nov. 20 in the Pike National Forest near Woodland Park. On Nov. 24, the 2,000-mile journey to the Capitol began. The tree is scheduled to arrive at 8 a.m. MST today.

Once there, a crane will hoist the tree and drop it into a 5- foot hole on the Capitol's west lawn. It will take about two days to stabilize the tree, letting the branches take their natural form.

The tree will be anchored to the ground so wind can't knock it down.

Evans' crew of about 15 will use cherry pickers to decorate the 65-foot tree with 10,000 lights and several dozen large ornaments - a task that will take about a week.

"The major decorations will be the handmade ornaments that have been prepared by Colorado school children," Evans said. "There are going to be between 4,000 and 6,000 ornaments."

A star will adorn the top of the tree.

With Evans' crew not having much time to spare to have the tree ready for the Dec. 13 lighting, he said, "I just pray that we don't have bad weather during that time."

Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., will light the tree at 3:30 p.m. MST before an expected crowd of about 2,000 people.

"We try to stay right on schedule because that's when the sun sinks down behind the Lincoln Memorial," Evans said.

"It really makes it very dramatic when it's pitch black and the speaker flips the switch. The audience sort of steps back and lets out a big group 'ahhh.'"

Beginning Jan. 2, Evans' crew will spend about three days taking the tree down. Typically, Evans said, the holiday trees are recycled and used as mulch at the Capitol.

But it's possible the tree trunk could be returned to Colorado, he said.

"Colorado plans to use a large portion of the trunk for educational projects, but there are not specific plans yet," said Barbara Timock, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Forest Service.

Evans has been helping with the Capitol's holiday tree for nine years. This is the sixth tree he's selected.

"It's always a thrill for me because I know how meaningful it is to the people who live in the state it's coming from," he said.

As for his own tree, that's a little different.

"My wife does the one at home," Evans said, laughing. "I don't have any energy left after I get involved with this big tree. I might hang one or two ornaments."

- Anslee Willett covers general assignments and may be reached at 636-0366 or awillett@gazette.com

On the Web To learn about the Millenium Tree: www.holidaytree2000.org

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