Kentucky State Police had the distinction of assisting the United States Forestry Service with escorting a Christmas tree designated for the U.S. Capital in Washington D.C.
The tree began its 3,627-mile journey from the Kootenai National Forest located in the Northwest corner of Montana on the Canadian border. The tree for 2017 is a 76-year-old Engelmann Spruce weighing 15,000 pounds, with a diameter of 30 inches and is decorated with 12,853 ornaments which were created locally across the state of Montana. The tree arrived in the Commonwealth on Wednesday, Nov. 22 where it stayed in Paducah until after Thanksgiving. On Friday, Nov. 24 members of the Kentucky State Police Commercial Enforcement Division from Henderson, Louisville and Morehead began escorting the tree as it traveled from Paducah to Catlettsburg. The tree was delivered to the west lawn of the U.S. Capital on Monday, Nov. 27. It will be lit on Dec. 6.
