The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is conducting its annual search for a large Christmas evergreen tree for use at the Governor's Mansion.
MDC is asking landowners, homeowners, businesses and communities that may have possible candidate trees to contact the department. Deadline for submission is Sept. 30.
To qualify, the donated tree must be 40 feet tall and be an eastern red cedar, Norway spruce or white pine. Candidate trees must be fully branched on all four sides and accessible by large equipment.
The right tree may either be near the end of its life or may need to be removed for other reasons. Once a tree is selected, MDC staff will coordinate the cutting and delivery of the tree to the Governor's Mansion at no cost to the owner. The donor will receive a personalized "thank you" from the governor and an invitation to the lighting ceremony, which usually occurs the first week of December.
Interested people are instructed to take photos of candidate trees and email them to [email protected]. Be sure to include a contact telephone number, location of the tree, and several pictures taken from different angles and distances.
Candidate tree nominations can also be submitted by mail to: Missouri Department of Conservation, ATTN: Mansion Christmas Tree, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102.
Full guidelines are available at mdc.mo.gov/node/23091.
For more information or questions, contact the MDC Forestry Division at 573-751-4115.