LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Christmas Tree: National Christmas Tree
built 633 days ago
The General Grant Tree is a living memorial to the men and women of the United States who have given their lives in service to their country. It was proclaimed a National Shrine on March 29, 1956 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The official dedication was made that year on Veterans Day, November 11, by the president's personal representative, Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz. Each year during the Christmas ceremony, park rangers place a large wreath at the base of the Grant Tree, remembering those who gave their lives.
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Many cities, towns, and department stores put up public Christmas trees outdoors, such as the Rich's Great Tree in Atlanta, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in New York City and the large Christmas tree at Victoria Square in Adelaide. During most of the 1970s and 1980s, the largest Christmas tree in the world was put up every year on the property of The National Enquirer in Lantana, Florida. This tradition grew into one of the most spectacular and celebrated events in the history of southern Florida, but was discontinued on the death of the paper's founder in the late 1980s.
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The video clip above from the Building and Fire Research Laboratory of the National Institute of Standards and Technology illustrates what happens when fire touches a dry tree. Within three seconds of ignition, the dry Scotch pine is completely ablaze. At five seconds, the fire extends up the tree and black smoke with searing gases streaks across the ceiling. Fresh air near the floor feeds the fire. The sofa, coffee table and the carpet ignite prior to any flame contact. Within 40 seconds "flashover" occurs - that's when an entire room erupts into flames, oxygen is depleted and dense, deadly toxic smoke engulfs the scene.
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As a member you receive the MCTA newsletter as well as a national Christmas tree magazine, which keeps you informed on the industry improving real Christmas trees for the consumer. Above all the MCTA promotes the use of real Maine Christmas trees every year for the Christmas season.
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CHAGRIN FALLS, OH–(Marketwire - December 6, 2007) - View the featured video on www.FirstResponderTV.com to see the frightening velocity of fire when it ignites a scotch pine Christmas Tree. The Holidays are unfortunately a time of increased residential structure fires and according to the National Fire Statistics, the chance of death caused by House Fires is 50% higher during this time as opposed to any other time of the year with the Christmas Tree being the most common source of fire. People should be extra aware of holiday fire risks and prepared in the event of a fire in their home.
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Not all natural Christmas trees harvested are grown on plantations. In British Columbia, Canada, for example, most of the 900,000 trees harvested for use as Christmas trees came from native pine and fir stands.[37] The British Columbia Ministry of Forests and Ranges allows any resident of the province to cut a Christmas tree for free from Crown Lands, provided the individual receive prior permission in writing from a Forest Officer.[38] In the United States, the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management offer permits for individual tree cutting on government land, mostly within the National Forest system. [39]
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National Christmas Tree