+----------------------------+------------------+---+-------------------+
| National Park Service      | Great Sand Dunes |   | 11500 Highway 150 |
|                            | National Park    |   |                   |
| U.S. Department of the     | and Preserve     |   | Mosca, Colorado   |
| Interior                   |                  |   |                   |
|                            | Use the complete |   | 81146             |
|                            | site name here   |   |                   |
|                            | (e.g. Palo Alto  |   | 719-378-6300      |
|                            | Battlefield      |   | phone             |
|                            | Historic Site).  |   |                   |
|                            |                  |   | 719-378-6310 fax  |
+----------------------------+------------------+---+-------------------+

![](media/image1.png){width="0.5597222222222222in"
height="0.7201388888888889in"}

**Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve**

News Release

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------
  Use a "short-hand" version of the site name here (e.g. Palo Alto
  Battlefield not Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Site).

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For Immediate Release---12/4/07 Libbie Landreth (719) 378-6342

**Great Sand Dunes Christmas Ornament Displayed\
on the Official White House Christmas Tree**

A hand-painted Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve 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."

San Luis Valley artist Patrick Myers painted the 8" diameter ornament
with a panoramic night scene showing the dunes, snow-covered mountains,
starry sky, and the Christmas star. "I chose to emphasize the night sky
on the ornament both because of the importance of night skies to our
national parks, and because it evokes the beautiful setting of the
Christmas story," said Myers, a valley resident since 1993. Myers is
known for his fine art landscape paintings of the American wilderness,
many painted in the San Luis Valley. He donates all net proceeds from
the sale of his paintings to charity.

The night sky theme is also on the minds of Great Sand Dunes resource
managers. Great Sand Dunes is especially good for viewing night skies,
because of relatively low light pollution. Park resource managers are
working with local communities to protect the darkness of San Luis
Valley night skies, so that park visitors can enjoy the same starry
skies that early residents saw. It is estimated that today over two
thirds of Americans cannot see the Milky Way from their property because
of light pollution.

The Great Sand Dunes ornament hangs beside other national park ornaments
from all over the nation, each painted with a different emphasis and
scene. "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."

"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."

\--NPS\--