STEVENS COUNTY, Wash. — If you're looking for the perfect Christmas tree, you might be able to find it in one of our National Forests. For $5 you can get a permit that lets you cut down your own tree.
Cutting down the trees can help with forest cleanup and is a good way to get out and enjoy nature.
Before you go and cut down a tree, here is what you need to know.
Where you can cut down Christmas trees
National Forests across Washington, Idaho, and Oregon have permits to cut down Christmas trees. You can search for the forest closest to you at recreation.gov.
Permits to cut down a Christmas tree are $5. Many fourth graders are eligible to get a free permit as part of the Every Kid Outdoors program.
In Idaho, the Bureau of Land Management has additional Christmas tree permits available.
Rules for cutting down your own Christmas tree
The Forest Service lists several rules and guidelines on its website, they include:
- Be sure to purchase your permit before you head into the forest. Permits can be purchased and printed online and in several locations near the forests.
- The tree you choose must be at least 200 feet from main roads, recreation sites and campgrounds, and stay away from areas along the sides of streams, rivers, lakes, and wet areas. Check with the ranger district for the proper distance.
- Select a tree with a trunk six inches or less in diameter, and prepare to cut the tree no more than six inches above ground level.
- Never cut a tall tree just for the top.
- Select a tree from overstocked areas and thickets. Watch restricted areas. Cut only one tree per tag.
- Contact each forest district office for dates, maps, times, and accessibility.
- Wood or Christmas trees cannot be sold. Permits must be in your possession at all times while in the forest.
USFS said cutting down a tree can benefit the forest because the Christmas trees are usually found in areas that forest health experts recommend thinning. Additionally, removing smaller trees can help wildlife by allowing other trees to grow larger, which opens up areas that provide food, USFS said.