Most years, the tallest Christmas tree harvested in Montana, as far as the Daily Montanan is aware, takes up residence under the Capitol rotunda in Helena for the holiday season, towering nearly three stories tall and adorned with more than 3,500 lights.

On Monday, as Gov. Greg Gianforte looked on, foresters felled this year’s Capitol Christmas tree in the Lolo National Forest.

Near Seeley Lake, a Good Neighbor Authority project between the state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and the U.S. Forest Service provided an active forest management site to harvest the tree that will serve as the state’s Christmas tree, all while contributing to the health of the forest.

“Each year, it’s a privilege to bring a tree from our public lands into the state capitol for all to en

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