The Christmas Tree Promotion Board was officially established by law when the Agricultural Act of 2014 was signed by President Barack Obama on February 7, 2014.[1] The board is part of the Christmas tree checkoff program established by a provision of Agricultural Act of 2014 known as the Christmas Tree Promotion, Research, and Information Order.[2] The Christmas Tree Promotion, Research, and Information Order is a U.S. Department of Agriculture rule that was originally published in November 2011 and established a commodity checkoff program to help U.S. Christmas tree growers.[3] The rule was rescinded in 2011 after it attracted criticism and political controversy before becoming law in 2014.[4][5]
The board has 12 members, 11 producers and one Christmas tree importer.[6] The producers are from different tree-producing geographic regions of the United States; five members are from the western region, two from the central region, and four from the eastern region.[7] When the board was established initial members were appointed for terms of two, three or four years upon approval by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.[7] The terms were assigned in this manner in order to stagger future terms on the board.[7] Board members after the initial members serve terms of three years.[2] In order to qualify for membership on the Christmas Tree Promotion Board producers and importers must have cut and sold 500 or more trees per year.[7] The USDA began seeking nominations to the first iteration of the Christmas Tree Promotion Board in April 2014.[7]
The board is funded through an assessment of $.15 per tree on growers and importers of fresh-cut Christmas trees.[8] Though the assessment amount can be increased it cannot exceed $.20 per tree and it can never be raised more than $.02 during a fiscal year.[8] Growers and importers that produce or import less than 500 trees are exempted from the fee.[8]
