Christmas tree cutting permits are now available from the U.S. Forest Service. Permits are $5 each and can be purchased in person at the Mount Adams, Mount St. Helens and Cowlitz Valley ranger districts as well as local vendors throughout Southwest Washington.
Permits can also be purchased online at https://www.recreation.gov. Additional administrative fees will apply to online purchases.
Households with fourth-graders can get a free permit. After earning their Every Kid Outdoors pass online, fourth-graders will need to show their valid paper voucher or Every Kid Outdoors pass at a national forest office. Go to https://everykidoutdoors.gov for more information.
There is a limit of five permits per household, and permits are valid for one-time use. Permits include a map of areas that are closed to cutting and an information sheet with special instructions for cutting trees in the national forest.
For more information, locations for local vendors and a video on successful tree harvesting, go to www.fs.usda.gov/goto/gp/treepermit.
