+--------+---------------------+----------------+---------------------+
| ![     | **National Park     |                | **White Sands       |
| ](medi | Service**           |                | National Monument** |
| a/imag |                     |                |                     |
| e1.png | ## U.S. Departm     |                | **P.O. Box 1086**   |
| ){widt | ent of the Interior |                |                     |
| h="0.7 |                     |                | **Holloman AFB, NM  |
| 770833 |                     |                | 88330-1086**        |
| 333333 |                     |                |                     |
| 333in" |                     |                | **(575) 679-2599**  |
| h      |                     |                |                     |
| eight= |                     |                | **(575) 479-4333    |
| "0.993 |                     |                | fax**               |
| 75in"} |                     |                |                     |
+--------+---------------------+----------------+---------------------+

**National Park Service** News Release

[For Immediate Release -- November 29, 2007]{.smallcaps}

[Cliff Spencer (575) 679-2599, ext. 210]{.smallcaps}

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

**White Sands National Monument Ornament Displayed on the Official White
House Christmas Tree**

(Alamogordo, NM) -- White Sands National Monument'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."

Jan Tremblay of Alamogordo designed White Sands ornament. The ornament
depicts prominent features of White Sands, such as the WPA-constructed
Visitor Center, sand dunes and surrounding mountains, and children
enjoying the dunes under a brilliant blue sky. Tremblay hand-painted the
ornament using oils, and attended the White House unveiling November 28
accompanied by her husband, Keith.

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."

**\--NPS\--**

![](media/image2.jpeg){width="6.145833333333333in"
height="4.396527777777778in"}

Artist Jan Tremblay with White Sands National Monument Superintendent
Cliff Spencer displaying the Christmas ornament Tremblay designed for
the White House Christmas Tree

![](media/image3.jpeg){width="3.2875in" height="3.6875in"}

![](media/image4.jpeg){width="2.790277777777778in"
height="2.920138888888889in"}

![](media/image5.jpeg){width="4.2034722222222225in"
height="2.959722222222222in"}