As deadline nears, Capitol Christmas Tree in dire need of more ornaments from Wyo. residents

Forest Service to Wyoming: Make more ornaments

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The U.S. Forest Service is asking Wyoming residents to get out their glitter and glue and make some ornaments for the 67-foot Engelmann spruce headed to the lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

This year’s tree is coming from the Bridger-Teton National Forest in western Wyoming, where it is scheduled to be cut down Nov. 6. It needs 5,000 ornaments, but fewer than 1,000 have been turned in as Friday’s formal deadline approaches for Wyoming residents.

A spokeswoman for the Christmas tree program, Mary Cernicek (SERN’-ih-check), says she’s hopeful Wyoming can supply a last-minute surge of well-made ornaments.

Luckily, Friday’s deadline isn’t a rigid one: Ornaments will be collected until the tree departs Wyoming for a cross-country tour on the back of a truck.