It’s not every day that a U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officer gets the chance to escort a giant Christmas tree across the country. But that’s how Petersburg’s Joey Boggs spent his November. Every year a tree graces the U.S. Capitol lawn, cut from one of the country’s many 154 national forests. This year, the tree came from Zarembo Island, just south of Petersburg.
Boggs sat down with KFSK’s Hannah Flor to talk about the trip, which he said was a rare opportunity. The Capital Christmas tree has only come from Alaska twice, since it’s so logistically complicated to get it all the way across the country.
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Boggs said the tree will have a second life after Christmas – the branches will be turned to mulch for the capital grounds. Some of the trunk will be returned to Wrangell’s tribe, so they can use the wood to make hand tools.
