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‘Tis the season for Christmas tree permits |
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November 21, 2014 |
Many families in our forested area enjoy the
tradition of scouting over Forest Service or BLM
land to locate, cut, and take home their own
Christmas tree.
Christmas tree permits are now available from
the Forest Service and Bureau of Land
Management. Here’s what you need to know about
the tree permits (tags):
·Christmas tree tags are $5 each. Cash or check only please.
·A family may purchase up to three tags.
·Christmas tree tags can be used to cut trees on:
--National Forest lands in northern
Idaho and Montana
--Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
lands administered by the Coeur d’Alene District
Office in northern Idaho, and by the Missoula,
Butte and Dillon field offices in western
Montana.
The Idaho Panhandle National Forests also offer
a “permit by mail” system. Simply print and
complete the form, include a check or money
order, and mail. Tree tags will be mailed the
next working day after receipt of your
application. Forms and instructions are located
on the Idaho Panhandle National Forest
website here.
In order to accommodate members of the public
who may wish to purchase a Christmas Tree permit
on the weekend, the Coeur d’Alene River Ranger
District’s Fernan location will be open
Saturday, December 6, and Saturday December 13,
from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The office will
sell only Christmas Tree permits during the
extended holiday hours. Fuelwood permits will
not be available.
Please observe these rules when cutting
Christmas trees:
·Know where you are! Call local agency offices to check
current travel conditions before you go. Forest
visitor maps and information are available at
Forest Service and BLM offices. National Forest
maps also are available online at:
www.fs.fed.us/recreation/nationalforeststore/
·Cut your tree at least 200 feet from main roads,
campgrounds, recreation sites, and the Deception
Creek and Priest River Experimental Forests. No
cutting is allowed within these areas or within
Wilderness, Wilderness Study Areas, National
Recreation Areas and recreation sites such as
English Point on the Coeur d’Alene River Ranger
District.
·Cut your tree at least 100 yards from streams.
·Select your tree from thickets or overstocked areas. Do not
remove trees from active timber sale areas,
plantations, or other sparsely stocked areas.
Leave isolated trees and single growing trees.
·Cut only one tree per tag. Attach the fluorescent tree tag
to your tree before putting it into your
vehicle.
·Don’t cut large trees just to get the top! Cut the stem off
below the lowest live limb or 8 inches above the
ground, whichever is lower. Keep discarded tree
limbs and tree sections out of roads and
ditches.
·On back roads, we encourage you to cut trees that are
growing within the road prism (from the top of
the cut bank to the bottom of the fill slope) of
little-used roads. This helps to keep roads open
and safe for travel.
·Be prepared for cold weather and snow! Dress warmly, carry
extra food and hot drinks, and always let
someone know your travel plans, including your
destination and expected time of arrival back
home. Start your tree hunting adventure early in
the day while there’s still plenty of daylight.
Be sure to carry tire chains as most backcountry
roads are not plowed. Cell phone coverage also
is limited in many areas.
Members of the public may purchase Christmas
tree tags at any of our offices. Addresses,
telephone numbers, and office hours are
available on our
Christmas Tree Permit page. |
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