Lassen National Forest Firs Go to Disneyland
November 28, 1977
This year the center of yuletide festivities at both Disneyland in Anaheim and at Disney World in Orlando, Florida, the annual Christmas trees, were each grown on the Hat Creek District of the Lassen National Forest.
Tall shapely White Firs, the Western firs are exclaimed by Disneyland’s superintendent of Decorating Dave Burkhart as, “unmatched in the U.S. for the shape and beauty necessary to decorate as the Disney Christmas trees.”
This year’s primary Christmas tree for each Disney site is 60 feet tall and required a hook truck and careful supervision by Burkhart and Gaylen Jesmer of ROAP transportation to gently cut, hoist, and place on the huge transports.
For five years Jesmer, of Redding, has transported the Disney trees. While it’s some 600 miles to Disneyland, it’s over 3,000 miles to Disney World.
Once the trees reach Disneyland and Disney World, almost three weeks’ time is required to add branches to any gaps, completely spray with fire retardant and decorate just right. Since more than one million viewers will pass by the welcoming branches of Disneyland alone, the cost of the venture seems well worth it.
In reality the process of the wood permit, stumpage costs, chainsaw use and hauling job is just another job being performed and yet there is something kind of fantasy like in the cutting of just the right tree for Christmas especially for a million faces; some of those faces might not otherwise see a real Christmas tree or get a chance to wish upon a star.
