An ambassador from Nevada graces the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol this holiday season – Silver Belle, a perfectly-shaped 53-foot red fir from the Carson Range of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.
The 55-year tradition of the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree tradition has invited a different national forest to provide the tree annually, with each forest adding its own distinctive touch to the effort. This year marked the first time that the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest provided the “People’s Tree.”
Forest Supervisor Jon Stansfield shared his vision at the project’s inception that the tree would come from Nevada, and the complex, yearlong effort would embody the principles of the state’s highly successful Shared Stewardship model.
“Our team saw a multitude of opportunities in the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree project to engage partners, enhance existing relationships, form new ones, and tell the story of the Humboldt-Toiyabe and Nevada’s public lands to a nationwide audience,” Stansfield said.
A kick-off in late January 2025, cohosted with primary partners Society of American Foresters and Sierra Forever, drew a packed room of federal and state agencies, nonprofit organizations, congressional offices, tribes, and tourism officials eager to engage. Even the theme, “Starry Skies to Neon Lights: Spirit of the Silver State” was developed with partner input.
By midsummer, the 2025 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree blossomed into a statewide celebration. Nevadans crafted a record 23,000 ornaments—more than twice the requested number. The Forest Service team staffed 98 ornament-making events, taking advantage of teachable moments to share information about the Forest Service, the Humboldt-Toiyabe, and Nevada’s natural resources. Partners such as Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation (NDOR), the Nevada Division of Forestry (NDF), schools, community groups, and nonprofits hosted more ornament focused events. Ornaments crafted highlighted the state’s proud history, special places and people, unique wildlife species, and multiple use on public lands, including ranching, mining and outdoor recreation.
“Being part of the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree experience has been both magical and historic for the Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation,” said Administrator Denise Beronio. “Every piece of the journey was an opportunity to highlight Nevada’s public lands—we were proud to engage in so many facets of the 12-month process with the Forest Service and their incredible staff.”
Partners also crafted dozens of tree skirts for the companion trees provided to certain federal buildings and eligible congressional offices as part of the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree project.
In addition to ornament and tree skirt events, the traditional tree-lighter essay contest highlighted state partnerships and set a record.
In a contest sponsored by the Forest Service, NDOR, and Nevada Lt. Governor Stavros Anthony, more than 250 Nevada fourth-grade students submitted essays on what the state’s public lands mean to them. Anthony selected Grady Armstrong, a nine-year-old Virginia City resident, as the official representative and tree-lighter. A video of Armstrong reading his essay at the lighting ceremony in front of the U.S. Capitol went viral on social media throughout Nevada.
Silver Belle was a full-fledged celebrity in her home state by the time the tree was harvested in late October. The first stop was the Nevada Day Parade where the Forest Service and NDF entered the “People’s Tree” in the annual parade that takes hours to pass through the capital, Carson City. Before the parade start, Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo presented Stansfield a proclamation declaring Silver Belle “Nevada’s Gift to the Nation.”
Nevadans lined the streets to see Silver Belle on her specially constructed trailer with viewing windows highlighting carefully selected handmade ornaments. Silver Belle ultimately won “best overall” for parade entries.
After the parade, Silver Belle departed on a cross-country whistle stop tour, with 16 public stops between Carson City and Washington, D.C.
In rural Nevada towns like Lovelock, Elko, Ely and Alamo, emotional residents surrounded the tree as soon as it arrived, eager to celebrate this first for their state. Silver Belle and the Humboldt-Toiyabe were joined by Nevada State Forester Kacey KC and Nevada Division of Forestry staff for the Nevada stops.
“As a native Nevadan and the State Forester, it was an honor to travel with Silver Belle across the Silver State alongside our partners at the U.S. Forest Service,” KC said. “She symbolized more than 100 years of partnership in the protection of Nevada’s forests and communities across jurisdictional boundaries.”
Silver Belle made a dozen stops outside of Nevada, including one at Joint Base Andrews, Md. to visit with service members and their families before making the final journey to the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol.
Crews with the Architect of the Capitol set up Silver Belle and decorated her in preparation for the ceremony where she would be presented to the nation. Armstrong lit Silver Belle for the season on Dec. 2 during the ceremony at the U.S. Capitol. The event drew a proud Forest Service Capitol Christmas Tree team, Nevada state leadership, the state’s congressional delegation, as well as partners and sponsors.
Back in Nevada, Silver Belle’s glow will last well beyond the holidays, carried through the relationships forged and strengthened during a yearlong celebration of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and the Silver State.
Want to learn more? Quiet Film Productions followed the Forest Service team for nearly a year and interviewed Nevadans about this once-in-a-lifetime effort. Their PBS documentary, “From Nevada: The Journey of Our Nation’s Christmas Tree,” debuts Dec. 19, 2025, and will be available to stream on the Las Vegas PBS YouTube channel. Visit www.vegaspbs.org for details.
