Special Forest Products: Firewood Permit

The limit on the amount of firewood you can gather with a free, or charge use, permit is 6 cords per household, per year across the forest.

A personal use firewood permit is free. The cost of a charge use/commercial firewood permit is dependent on the amount you want to gather. The Charge Use Product Summary Table shows the price of a permit to gather firewood.

A permit may be obtained in person, by mail or phone from ranger district offices. Mt. Adams Ranger District/Mount St Helens area firewood permits are also available at multiple vendors.

Cowlitz Valley Ranger District
10024 US Hwy 12
Randle, WA 98377
(360) 497-1100

Mt. Adams Ranger District
2455 Hwy 141
Trout Lake, WA 98650
(509) 395-3400

Mount St Helens National Volcanic Monument
42218 N.E. Yale Bridge Rd.
Amboy, WA 98601
(360) 449-7800

Mount Adams Ranger District firewood permit vendors:

Home Valley Store
50151 Hwy. 14
Home Valley, WA 98648
509-427-4015

Wind River Market
11 Carson Frontage Road
Carson, WA 98610
509-427-5565

The permit and woodcutting load tickets must be in your possession when cutting firewood. The following equipment is also required at the cutting site when using a power saw:

• Saw: Exhaust system in good repair and a screen-type spark arrestor of 0.023" or less and qualified under USDA Forest Service Standards.
• Shovel: Long-handled round point with an 8" blade in possession of operator.
• Fire Extinguisher: Pressurized chemical of not less than 8-ounce capacity by weight and in possession of operator.

Check with the Ranger District Office nearest your destination for a list of areas currently open for firewood cutting.

There are several ways to obtain firewood. Check with the local Ranger District Office to determine how wood is marked or designated as allowable firewood.

Firewood can carry insects and diseases that can threaten the health of our western forests. You can make a difference by obtaining your firewood near to where you will burn it. Currently, invasive emerald ash borer, Asian gypsy moth, sudden oak death, and thousand canker disease are not known to occur on the forest. However, invasive balsam wooly adelgid does occur and is widespread throughout Northwest. Several native insects live in down trees and some, like Ips pini and Douglas-fir bark beetles, can potentially affect nearby live trees. Wood that has been down for one year or more is usually safe from these pests.

Visit Dontmovefirewood.org for further invasive species information and state regulations regarding firewood.

The Ranger District offices offer permits year-round. Forest Industrial Fire Protection Levels (IFPLs) regulate activities to reduce the chance of starting a forest fire and apply to firewood cutting. IFPLs are dependent on the weather and conditions in the woods. IFPLs can be determined by calling or visiting the local Forest Service office. IFPLs may change often so check with Forest Service Office nearest your cutting area on the day you will be cutting firewood.

Current Closures and Fire Restrictions

Up to 6 cords of firewood on the forest per household for either a free use or charge/commerical use permit.

Each load ticket allows you to haul 1/2 (one-half) cord of wood. If your vehicle is large enough to allow you to transport more than 1/2 cord of wood, a load ticket must be attached for each 1/2 cord of wood hauled. This ticket must be marked to indicate the month and day of use, and be attached to the load when the vehicle is moved from the cutting site.