Festive transport: Silver Belle to D.C.

With the U.S. Capitol as a backdrop, Digging & Rigging carefully hoists Silver Belle into position on the West Lawn during the final stage of her cross-country journey

For 55 years, a towering evergreen tree from American public land has made the long journey to Washington, D.C. (USA) as the People’s Tree – a gift from the nation to its Capitol. This year, that journey carried special meaning for the people of Nevada, the U.S. Forest Service and partners across the country. It also shone a well-deserved spotlight on the men and women of the specialized transport and crane and rigging industries who brought the 2025 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree safely to the West Lawn.

SC&RA was proud to be a sponsor of this year’s effort, supporting a cross-country project that connected thousands of people in communities across the USA. The campaign aligned with the Association’s ongoing work to elevate visibility for the industry, demonstrate the value of heavy haul and crane expertise and help future workers see the opportunities that exist in the trades within an industry that literally lifts and moves the world.

This year’s tree, nicknamed Silver Belle, carried a story all her own.

Crew members guide Silver Belle during harvest on the Carson Ranger District, preparing the 16 metre red fir tree for its cross-country journey to the US Capitol

A First for Nevada

Harvested on 24 October from Mt. Rose on the Carson Ranger District of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Silver Belle is the first U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree to have been selected from Nevada. A 53 foot (16 metre) red fir with striking blue-green foliage and a classic tapered form, she was chosen from nine candidates by Jim Kaufmann, executive director of Capitol Grounds and Arboretum at the Architect of the Capitol.

The Forest Service named this year’s theme Starry Skies to Neon Lights – Spirit of the Silver State, a tribute to Nevada’s vast landscapes, desert vistas and the glow that gives the state its nickname. Approximately 50 years old at harvest, Silver Belle served as a living symbol of the state’s natural beauty and community pride.

Once prepared for transport, she began her multi-state Whistlestop Tour on a truck branded “Spirit of the Silver State.” The route included parades, festivals and public celebrations across numerous U.S. states, including Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Kentucky. Families lined streets, schoolchildren signed banners and local officials welcomed the convoy as it rolled into each town.

By the time she reached the nation’s capital on 21 November, thousands of people had encountered Silver Belle in person, creating a rare connection between public lands in the West and the Capitol in the East. The Architect of the Capitol then began decorating her with more than 10,000 handmade ornaments crafted by volunteers throughout Nevada.

The annual lighting ceremony took place on 2 December, with Youth Tree Lighter Grady Armstrong joining the Speaker of the House to illuminate the West Lawn. The moment marked the culmination of a journey that stretched more than 4,000 miles (6,500 km) and reflected the work of hundreds of people.

That included the team at SC&RA member company Digging & Rigging, Inc., which handled the lift and placement of the tree – a nationally visible demonstration of the precision and safety discipline that define the crane and rigging profession.

Skill, safety, co-ordination

SC&RA’s sponsorship of the 2025 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree was more than a seasonal gesture. It was an opportunity to highlight the essential work performed every day by the specialized transport and crane and rigging industries.

Transporting such a large tree across the country demands co-ordination at every step. Crews prepare the load, secure permits, assess routes, adjust for weather and terrain and manage community engagement during public stops. Each phase showcases the planning and execution SC&RA members bring to oversize and overweight haulage across the nation.

On arrival in D.C., the transition from transport to installation required equal precision. Digging & Rigging’s operators, riggers and support team executed the lift with the same meticulous approach they apply to complex industrial and commercial projects.

For SC&RA, this was an ideal opportunity to demonstrate to the public that the equipment, expertise and safety culture behind such work are the same forces driving infrastructure, manufacturing and construction projects across the United States. Successful completion of Silver Belle’s journey underscored the reliability and professionalism of an industry that often works behind the scenes but remains essential to national progress.

To that end, another important element of the tree’s journey was the visibility and partnership it created. Engaging groups like the USDA Forest Service and the Society of American Foresters helped connect the dots between public lands, national tradition and the specialized skills required to transport and lift a structure of this size.

This visibility also supports SC&RA’s broader workforce mission. As interest among younger workers declines in many skilled trades, projects like this help reposition the story – showing that jobs in specialized transportation, crane and rigging operations intersect with logistics, engineering, environmental stewardship and public service.

At the tree’s parade stop in Las Vegas, Forest Service crew members greeted attendees and shared information about Silver Belle’s journey from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest

Lasting impact

The U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree project has always been about connection – between the West and the East, between public lands and public institutions, and between the people who grow, manage and harvest these trees and those who gather to see them illuminated each December.

This year, that sense of connection extended to SC&RA’s membership and the industries they represent. Silver Belle’s journey offered a clear look at the scale, safety discipline and technical proficiency defining specialized transport, crane and rigging operations. It also offered a reminder that behind every national tradition stands a workforce committed to doing its job the right – and safe – way.

For Silver Belle, the journey began in the high elevations of Mt. Rose and ended on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. For SC&RA members, the journey serves as a reflection of the work they do daily – lifting, hauling and placing the equipment, structures and materials that keep America moving.

As her lights shine across the Capitol grounds this holiday season, Silver Belle stands as both a celebration of the Silver State and a quiet tribute to the professionals who made her cross-country passage possible. Their work, often unseen but always essential, remains at the heart of this enduring American tradition.