LANSING — The official 2021 state Christmas tree, a 63-foot spruce selected by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget, will be harvested from Marenisco in the western Upper Peninsula.

The spruce, donated by Carla Fletcher and her family, will arrive in downtown Lansing to decorate the Capitol grounds for the holiday season Oct. 30.

This marks the second state tree to hail from Gogebic County, and the 24th from the Upper Peninsula.

“We came to the cabin for the weekend and saw a note posted that said the state of Michigan was interested in a tree growing close to the cabin,” Fletcher said. “I thought it was a joke at first, but decided to call the number. It’s amazing that our tree will travel to Lansing for the holidays.”

The tree will be harvested Oct. 27 and transported to the Capitol with help from the Michigan Association of Timbermen and the Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association. At the Capitol, local Boy Scout troops will continue the tradition of untying the tree. The HI-Ball Company of Lansing will provide a crane and crew to hoist the blue spruce into place at the intersection of Capitol and East Michigan avenues.