+--------+---------------------+----------------+---------------------+
| ![     | **National Park     |                | Great Basin         |
| ](medi | Service**           |                | National Park       |
| a/imag |                     |                |                     |
| e1.png | ## U.S. Departm     |                | 100 Great Basin     |
| ){widt | ent of the Interior |                | National Park       |
| h="0.7 |                     |                |                     |
| 770833 |                     |                | Baker, Nevada 89311 |
| 333333 |                     |                |                     |
| 333in" |                     |                | \(775\) 234-7331    |
| h      |                     |                |                     |
| eight= |                     |                | \(775\) 234-7269    |
| "0.993 |                     |                | fax                 |
| 75in"} |                     |                |                     |
+--------+---------------------+----------------+---------------------+

**National Park Service** News Release

[For Immediate Release -- December 12, 2007]{.smallcaps}

[Betsy Duncan-Clark (775) 234-7331]{.smallcaps}

**"Holiday in the National Parks" Celebrated at the White House**

**Great Basin National Park Ornament Displayed**

**on the Official White House Christmas Tree**

(Baker, NV) -- Great Basin National Park's ornament is prominently
displayed on this year's official White House Christmas Tree. The tree
is the centerpiece of elaborate decorations celebrating the theme of
"Holiday in the National Parks."

"It is an amazing honor for the National Park Service to be selected as
the theme for the White House holiday decorations by the President and
Mrs. Bush," said National Park Service Director Mary A. Bomar. "Mrs.
Bush is the best champion for our national parks, and the beautiful
decorations in each state room showcase the natural and historical
treasures found in parks throughout the country."

The tree, located in the Blue Room, is adorned with handmade ornaments
representing the country's 391 National Park Service sites. "Each
ornament on the magnificent 18-foot Fraser fir was designed by an artist
selected by the park," said Bomar. "The ornaments tell the stories of
our parks, just as our parks tell the stories of our nation."

The Great Basin National Park ornament was created by Interpretive Park
Ranger Roberta Moore. The original ornament was gold colored, but
Roberta changed it to dark blue and replaced the gold ornament hanger
cap with a silver cap (Nevada is the Silver State). On the upper half of
the ornament, Roberta depicted the park with the South Snake Range,
Bristlecone pines and the Great Basin night sky. The sky was depicted
with 7 very small rhinestones, representing the Big Dipper. On the lower
half of the ornament, under the scenic mountain view, Roberta depicted
Lehman Caves, one of Great Basin National Park's show pieces. Roberta
attended the White House reception hosted by First Lady Laura Bush on
November 28.

The holiday displays incorporate the wide variety of natural, cultural,
and recreational features preserved by the National Park Service. Models
of icons such as the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and the Statue of Liberty
share space with paintings of scenic vistas from Grand Canyon, Zion, and
Rocky Mountain National Parks. Holiday garlands intertwined with park
objects including seashells, pine cones, and gold aspen leaves add to
each room's festive feel.

A highlight of the decorations is a scaled-down, but architecturally
accurate, gingerbread reproduction of the south view of the White House,
a unit of the National Park Service. The edible masterpiece includes
Bush family pets Barney, Miss Beazley, and Willie frolicking on the lawn
with moose, elk, raccoons, and other animals found in national parks.

"National Parks commemorate the people, places, and events that define
the American experience," said Secretary of the Interior Dirk
Kempthorne. "I am so appreciative of President Bush's efforts to
recognize the important role of national parks in American society. Our
country will celebrate the 100^th^ anniversary of the National Park
Service in 2016 and the President has been instrumental in establishing
the National Park Centennial Initiative to prepare the parks for the
next century."

High resolution images of the NPS / White House Christmas ornaments can
be found on the following web site:
http://www.nps.gov/pub_aff/whho2007/WebPage-Thumb.00001.html. Great
Basin National Park's ornament is found on page four.

**\--NPS\--**