USDA Seeks Nominees for Real Christmas Tree Board

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) seeks nominees for the Real Christmas Tree Board. Nominees are needed to fill four seats with terms beginning Jan. 1, 2027, and ending Dec. 31, 2029.

USDA seeks nominees for the following seats:

• One Seat Region #1 - Western Region, which includes: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming and all U.S. Territories located in the Pacific Ocean.

• One Seat Region #2 - Central Region, which includes: Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wisconsin.

• Two Seats Region #3 - Eastern Region, which includes: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, New York, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, D.C., West Virginia, and all U.S. Territories located in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, including but not limited to Puerto Rico.

Producers who produce Christmas trees in more than one region may seek nomination only in the region in which they produce the majority of their Christmas trees.

Nomination applications are available at realchristmastreeboard.org/about/ or by contacting the Real Christmas Tree Promotion Board Executive Director, Marsha Gray, at (517) 242-1630 or by email at [email protected]. You may also contact USDA Marketing Specialist George Webster at (202) 365-4172 or by email at [email protected].
The current 12-member board is made up of 11 producers and one importer. More information about the board is available on the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Real Christmas Tree Promotion Board webpage.

Since 1966, Congress has authorized the development of industry-funded research and promotion boards to provide a framework for agricultural industries to pool their resources and combine efforts to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets and conduct important research and promotion activities. AMS provides oversight of 21 boards, paid for by industry assessments, which helps ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.