Fraser fir tree species. Growing and harvesting this species for Christmas trees and boughs is a multimillion-dollar business in the southern Appalachians. North Carolina produces the majority of Fraser fir Christmas trees. It requires from 7 to 10 years in the field to produce a high tree. In 2005, the North Carolina General Assembly passed legislation making the Fraser fir the official Christmas tree of North Carolina. Fraser fir The Fraser fir ("Abies fraseri") is a species of fir native to the Appalachian Mountains of the Southeastern United States. "Abies fraseri" is closely related to balsam fir ("Abies balsamea"), of which it
Douglas M. Fraser Douglas M. Fraser Douglas Malcolm Fraser (born April 16, 1953), is a retired United States Air Force general who served as the Commander, United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM). He was the first U.S. Air Force officer to become USSOUTHCOM's combatant commander. He previously served as Deputy Commander, United States Pacific Command from April 2008 to June 24, 2009. He assumed his final assignment on June 25, 2009. General Fraser earned his commission upon graduation from the United States Air Force Academy in 1975. His operational assignments include Europe, the Pacific, Air Combat Command and Air Force Space Command. He has