OLYMPIA, Wash.  —  The Evergreen State will supply the official Christmas tree for the U.S. Capitol this winter, officials say.

The tree will be cut from the Olympic National Forest in early November and shipped to Washington, D.C. The chosen tree's location will remain secret until it is harvested.

"Washington is home to some of the nation's most spectacular forests and I am proud of the opportunity to share our state's natural beauty with the rest of the country," Gov. Chris Gregoire said Thursday.

Washington state schoolchildren will supply more than 3,000 handmade ornaments for the tree, and students may win a contest to attend the tree-lighting ceremony in the nation's capital.