PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Like Charlie Brown's fictional Christmas tree, the Christmas tree in the rotunda of the Rhode Island State House has been subjected to a certain lack of respect.

An Associated Press story uncovering the not-exactly-startling fact that needles have fallen off the tree was picked up recently by the New York Post, which upped the ante with the headline: "This is the saddest state capital Christmas tree."

Reacting to that story, West Greenwich Christmas tree farmer John Timothy Leyden, owner and operator of Big John Leyden's Christmas Tree Farm, offered in a news release Saturday to donate a new tree for the State House.

"I'm saddened by the news of the Christmas Tree debacle at our State House and the fact that this has made headlines in the national media," Leyden wrote. He also offered free consulting services "to ensure that ... the R.I. State House tree will never be made a mockery of again."

The governor's spokesman, Mike Raia, said Saturday that there are no plans to replace the tree, and he added that he was "struggling" to understand why anyone thought it was noteworthy that needles were falling off a natural Christmas tree. Most of the needles are still on the tree, he said.

"It's a Christmas tree," he said, and "needles fall off" Christmas trees. Raia added that when he was a child, falling needles meant that "Santa was coming."

Christmas tree drama is not unprecedented in Rhode Island. In 2016, the initial Rhode Island State House Christmas tree was replaced after Gov. Gina Raimondo's staff decided it was too small.

Raimondo's predecessor, Lincoln Chafee, sparked controversy by calling the conifer a "Holiday Tree" instead of a Christmas tree.

And in 2005, the State House tree had to be removed from the rotunda several days before Christmas because a dousing of flame retardant caused the needles to fall off.