Meet the sawyer who cut the Capitol Christmas Tree
November 15, 2017
Meet the local sawyer who was selected earlier this month to cut the 2017 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree, which is now on its way east to Washington, D.C. Kootenai Forest Supervisor Chris Savage selected Pete Tallmadge of Troy with the honor.

Tallmadge is a life-long resident of northwest Montana. He is a fourth generation Montanan and a third generation logger who works with Tallmadge Logging, which started operation in the 1960s by his father, Stan Tallmadge.

Pete and his wife Pam are the parents of five children and one grandchild.

His company has done a lot of roadbuilding for timber access and 99 percent of all the logging work has been in Lincoln County. Pete and his family have a life-long history in northwest Montana and both his grandfather and uncle were sawyers and now his son, Adam is in the business.

“What loggers look like will keep changing, but we would like to be part of the logging industry for future generations in northwest Montana,” said Tallmadge.

When asked about cutting the 2107 Capitol Christmas tree Tallmadge responded, “I’m honored, privileged and a little anxious about the event, but mostly happy that my kids and grandkids will be able to remember that I was a sawyer and that they have a strong family history of working in the timber industry in northwest Montana.”

The tree Pete cut November 8 is a 79-foot tall Engelmann Spruce that grew on the Three Rivers Ranger District in Troy.

The tree was then prepped for the almost 3,000-mile trip, which includes a series of community celebrations and culminates with the official tree lighting in early December.

After arriving in Washington, D.C., the tree lighting will occur in early December as determined by the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

“We are pleased that a local sawyer agreed to cut the 2017 Capitol Christmas tree,” Savage said. “Mr. Tallmadge comes well recommended and has decades of wood-working experience.”

For tour information, event details, news and updates, and to track the tree cross-country, visit www.fs.usda.gov/kootenai or www.capitolchristmastree.com.