Christmas tree permits available

Cutting a Christmas tree on the National Forest is a great holiday tradition for many families and can help fire risks by removing smaller trees from the forest.

Christmas tree permits are now available from the Mendocino National Forest for this holiday season.

The cost of the permit is $10 per tree, available from area vendors, as well as either in person or by mail from Mendocino National Forest office in Willows.

Permits will be sold through Dec. 18 and are good through Dec. 24. Trees may be cut and removed any day of the week in any authorized area of the forest.

There is a limit of one permit per household and each permit must use have a valid name and address. Up to four additional permits may be purchased for additional households using separate names and addresses. Individuals must be 18-year-old or older to purchase a permit. Mendocino National Forest only accepts cash or checks as payment for Christmas tree permits and sales are final, with no refund.

Those who purchase a permit will receive a tree tag and map of the forest.

To purchase a permit by mail, send a printed name and mailing address, a printed name and address for each permit purchased, a daytime telephone number, and a check or money order made out to "USDA Forest Service" for $10 for each permit to either the Willows, Upper Lake or Covelo offices with "Christmas Tree Permit" written on the outside of the envelope. Mail-in requests received after Dec. 14 will not be filled.

A permit form can be found online at www.fs.fed.us/r5/mendocino/passespermits/christmas.

Anyone planning on cutting a Christmas tree for someone else who isn't present, a Third Party Authorization must be in possession of the cutter. This form is also available on the Mendocino National Forest Web site.

Permit holders should be aware that federal and state quarantines to prevent the spread of Sudden Oak Death are in effect for Lake and Mendocino counties. Any Douglas fir trees cut in these counties can only be transported into other Sudden Oak Death quarantine counties. Tehama, Glenn, and Colusa are not Sudden Oak Death quarantine counties.



Locations where permits are sold

• Mendocino National Forest Supervisor’s Office
Grindstone Ranger District Office
825 N. Humboldt Ave., Willows, CA 95988
934-3316
• Stonyford Work Center
5171 Stonyford-Elk Creek Road, Stonyford, CA, 95979
963-3128
• Covelo Ranger Station
78150 Covelo Road, Covelo, CA 95428
983-6118
• Upper Lake Ranger Station
10025 Elk Mountain Road, Upper Lake, CA 95485
(707) 275-2361
• Nancy’s Elkhorn Family Lodge
2745 County Road 306, Elk Creek, CA 95939
968-5312
• Squaw Creek Inn & Resort
4425 Sites Ladoga Road, Stonyford, CA 95979
963-3483
• Timberline Bar & Grill
279 Market Street, Stonyford, CA 95979
963-3074



Tips on tree cutting

Following are some tips provided by National Forest authorities to make the Christmas tree cutting experience more enjoyable:
• Plan you trip by checking the weather, bring plenty of warm clothing, water, emergency food, tire chains, shovel, a saw or ax to cut your tree, and a tarp and rope to bring it home. Make sure you have a full tank of gas when you leave and are prepared for changing conditions in the mountains. Also, let someone know where you are going and when you plan to be back.
• Keep vehicles on designated roads and be aware of changing weather and road conditions. Wet dirt roads can quickly turn to mud, making it possible to get stuck and causing damage to road, soil and water resources. If there are puddles in the road, mud flipping off the tires or you can see your ruts in the rearview mirror, consider pulling over and taking a hike to look for a tree, or turning around and finding a different area to cut your tree.
• Cut your tree early in the season before favorite cutting areas can’t be reached because of snow.
• Make sure you are cutting a tree on the Mendocino National Forest and not from other federal, state or private lands.
• Cut the tree as close as possible to the ground and leave as little of a stump as possible.
• Attach the permit on the tree where it will be easily visible with the tree packed or tied on you vehicle for transport home.
• To help keep your tree fresh, cut at least one inch off the base when you get home and stand the tree in a container of water in a cool, shaded area, checking the water level daily.