U.S. House rooting for oak as national tree

By The Associated Press

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WASHINGTON — The national bird, the bald eagle, will have a national tree, the oak, to alight on if legislation passed yesterday by the House makes its way through Congress and is signed by the president.

The oak tree, said the measure's sponsor, Rep. Bob Goodlatte, is present in all 50 states and "represents the fundamental characteristics of this great nation: strength, endurance and beauty."

The Virginia Republican said in a statement that the oak, in addition to being a highly prized material for furniture and flooring, has played a vital role in the nation's history. He recalled how the USS Constitution, "Old Ironsides," repelled British cannonballs with its oak hull.

He also cited a 2001 online survey taken by the National Arbor Day Foundation, in which the oak — genus Quercus — won over 20 other national-tree candidates. The oak was the favorite among about 100,000 of the 444,000 votes cast. In second place was the redwood with 80,000 votes.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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