Fuelwood Sales

Personal Fuelwood Permits are available to purchase from May 15, 2024 through November 30, 2024.

Many people visit the Boise National Forest every year to collect fuelwood. These wood products are frequently used by the local community for home heating, cooking and other critical purposes. You must purchase a fuelwood permit if you plan to collect fuelwood on the Boise National Forest and haul it off Forest. Fuelwood permits are for standing dead and down trees only. Remember, permits sales are final and not subject to refund. Lost tags will not be replaced.

Permit Information

There is a 4-cord minimum purchase for the personal use fuelwood permits. The minimum permit is $25.00 ($6.25 per cord). You can buy up to 10 cords per household per year. The personal use fuelwood permit is for your own personal use. The person gathering the fuelwood must be present to purchase and sign for the permit, tags and fuelwood brochure. 

With your fuelwood permit purchase, you will receive the permit, load tickets (in 1/4 cord increments), and a Boise, Sawtooth or Payette National Forest fuelwood brochure to assist you in locating an appropriate area.

What is a cord of wood?

One cord of fuelwood measures 4 ft. X 4 ft. X 8 ft. which equals 128 cubic feet and weighs approximately 2,662 lbs. The average half-ton pickup can carry 1/2 cord of dry wood without overloading the vehicle. Remember to validate your fuelwood with load tickets before you leave the cutting area.

Fuelwood is commonly measured in cords

One cord of tighly stacked dry wood measuring 4 feet high by 8 feet long weighs about 2,600 pounds.

One ton equals 2,000 pounds. 

 

 

Options for Purchasing Permits

To purchase a fuelwood cutting permit, you must be 18 years of age and present a valid driver’s license. The person who purchases the permit will need to be present when the fuelwood is being cut.

Fuelwood permits can be purchased at the following locations:

Commercial vendors:

• Caldwell:  East Cleveland Beverage, 208-459-6442

• Emmett:  B & W Fuels, 208-365-2291

• Garden Valley: Garden Valley Marke, 208-462-3817

• Horseshoe Bend: Horseshoe Hardware, 208-793-2214

• Idaho City: Anderson Hardware & Supply, 208-392-2271

• Idaho City:  Idaho City Grocery, 208-392-4426

Ranger District offices: Staffing may be intermittent at all locations including the Interagency Visitor Center. We recommend calling before making the trip to ensure staffing.

• Cascade Ranger District: 208-382-7400
  Monday-Friday
  Open 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

• Emmett Ranger District: 208-365-7000
  Monday-Friday
  Open 8 a.m.- 12 p.m.
  Open 12:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

• Garden Valley Work Center: 208-462-3241
  Monday - Friday
  Open 8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
  Open 12:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

• Idaho City Ranger District: 208-392-3700
  Monday-Friday
  Open 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

• Interagency Visitor Center: 208-373-4038
  Open 8 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
  Closed mid-day for lunch. Call ahead if needed.

• Lowman Ranger District: 208-259-3361
  Monday-Friday
  Open 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

• Mountain Home Ranger District: 208-587-7961
  Monday-Friday
  Open 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Where to Go? Maps, etc.

The fuelwood brochure does not have road openings, closures or restrictions posted on it.

All forest service travel restrictions apply. Refer to the MVUMs for routes designated open for motorized vehicles. Check this year’s fuelwood brochure, fuelwood map, and the current District Motor Vehicle Use Map of the area to make sure you are cutting in an area open to fuelwood gathering and pay special attention to closed areas and roads with restoration activities. Contact local Forest Service offices for up-to-date information.

Not all lands on the National Forest are open to fuelwood cutting. Please consult the fuelwood map to be sure you are in an area where cutting is permitted. In some areas on the Forest, only downed logs are available. Remember that not all land within the Forest is publicly owned. It is your responsibility to be certain you are not trespassing on private land. The permit is for Boise, Payette and Sawtooth National Forest lands only, not State, BLM or private lands.

Northern Boise National Forest Map

Southern Boise National Forest Map

For information about wood gathering on State or Private lands please contact the Southern Idaho Timber Protective Association (SITPA) in McCall 208-634-2268 or State of Idaho Dept. of Lands (Boise) 208-334-3488.

If you need help finding fuelwood ask for help at the nearest Ranger District offices. They may have areas where they want to remove small diameter trees.

Permit holders are encouraged to cut fuelwood early in the year because fire restrictions may impact the cutting season later in the summer. Early season fuelwood cutters should use caution to avoid wet muddy roads, where travel may cause resource damage. Fuelwood cutting is not allowed within riparian areas (adjacent to creeks and rivers).

Protect Our Streams

Please stay out of riparian areas!

Riparian areas include the trees and other plants that grow along streams, rivers and lakes. These areas are important to the forest. The plants hold soil in place, absorb excess water, provide shade and shelter, and filter runoff.

Riparian Conservation Areas (RCAs) are zones that protect riparian areas. They include the land 300 feet along both side of streams, rivers, lakes and wet areas. The fuelwood permit prohibits fuelwood cutting, vehicle and trailer parking, slash piling and travel within RCAs.

To protect valuable riparian areas, please observe the following restrictions for fuelwood harvesting in riparian areas:

NO fuelwood cutting is allowed within 300 ft. on both sides of perennial streams. (Perennial streams flow year-round.) Perennial streams are shown on the map that comes with your fuelwood permit.

NO fuelwood cutting is allowed within 100 ft. on both sides of intermittent streams. (These are streams that do not have water in them all year. At times they may look like dry stream beds.) Intermittent streams are not shown on the permit map.

Allowed exceptions for the RCA buffer zones: When a road runs parallel to the stream and the stream is on the downhill side of the road, fuelwood on uphill side of the road may be removed if the fuelwood is not in the RCA of another stream on the uphill side of the road. 

Prohibited Cutting Areas

Cutting fuelwood within a closure area is prohibited. Check on the Alerts & Notices pages of Forest websites for closure information.

In addition to Forest Closures, The Boise National Forest has the following closures for fuelwood:

NO fuelwood cutting within 300 feet of these road edges or shoulders as they are visual protection zones:

• 300 ft. both sides of State Hwy 21 from Grimes Creek northeast to Banner Summit

• 300 ft. both sides of State Hwy 55 within the Forest boundary

• 300 ft. both sides of Warm Lake Hwy (NF Hwy 22) from the Forest boundary to Landmark

Payette National Forest

• 150 ft. both sides of the Warren Wagon Road from the Forest boundary to Secesh Summit

• On the stream side of Lick Creek Road

Cut Only Standing dead and down trees, with these exceptions:

DO NOT cut dead or live Whitebark Pine trees.  Learn More about Whitebark Pine Trees.

Do NOT cut or remove Whitebark Pine trees: Cutting, damaging, or removing Whitebark pine is prohibited under the Endangered Species Act. Any person who knowingly violates any provision of any other regulation issued under this Act shall, upon conviction, be fined not more than $25,000 or imprisoned for not more than 6 months, or both. 50 CFR 17.74

Identification:  If the tree still has needles, it will have five needles per bundle as compared to lodgepole pine that only has two needles per bundle. These trees are known for their multi-forked silhouettes on high mountain ridges.

DO NOT cut live Larch (Tamarack) trees. These trees lose their needles each fall. Before cutting what appears to be a dead larch, look on the ground to see if needles have recently fallen or check just inside the bark to see if the tree is still alive. If the bark is tight, the tree is probably alive.

Larch or Tamarack cannot be cut after November 1st. Larch lose their needles every fall and appear to be dead, resulting in too many live trees accidently cut. This new regulation is to prevent the cutting of live Larch trees after they have lost their needles in the fall.

DO NOT cut Wildlife Trees. Standing, dead trees (snags) play a role in supporting wildlife populations in the forest. They are a source of food, nests, perches, and protective cover for many birds and mammals. Removal of snags for fuelwood purposes must, therefore, be carefully managed.

DO NOT cut trees that have a sign on that says, "Do Not Cut for Firewood" also known as fuelwood. Typically these are found in active timber sale areas. Trees with paint on them are included in timber sales. Trees with paint on them are included in timber sales. . A tree that has recently died may still be salvageable and sold. Do NOT cut trees that are painted or bear this sign. Log decks are usually located along roads in an active timber sale area. These logs have been skidded and decked for hauling by the timber sale purchaser and are not available for public use. Do not cut these log decks for fuelwood.

It is your responsibility to abide by the rules and regulations of this program and failure to do so will result in a violation of the permit. You may be subject to fines, penalties and further prosecution.

Things to Remember:

• Cut fuelwood cleanly and safely. Wear personal protective equipment.

• Remember your fire prevention tools: an 8-ounce minimum capacity fire extinguisher and a size "0" or larger shovel. Help prevent forest fires.

• Make sure your chainsaw is legal to operate.

• Remember slash disposal is an integral part of this process. DO NOT leave slash in road ditches.

Report Fires To:

• Boise National Forest Dispatch at 208-384-3400

• SITPA 208-634-2268 for Boise Forest

• McCall Dispatch at 208-634-0397 for Payette Forest

Report Illegal Activities on the forest: 

• 208-373-4296

• Fire Dispatch:

  • Boise NF: 208-384-3400

  • Payette NF: 208-634-0733

When you buy a fuelwood permit you are responsible for fully understanding and agree to all conditions of the permit. Violations of the conditions of the permit are punishable by a fine of not more than $5,000.00 or imprisonment for not more than six months or both (16 USC 551).

Commercial Use

All commercial uses of forest products require a paid permit. It is a commercial use when the forest product will be sold by the permittee. The rules for gathering and the availability of different products vary considerably. All those interested in commercial uses of forest products should contact the local district office  for detailed information on products available and pricing.

Free Use

The Cascade Ranger District will be issuing Free Use permits starting October 11 through November 30 or as long as weather will allow. A permit will allow ten cords of wood from dead snags or downed dead tree. Permittees may not sell or exchange any portion of the material under a Free Use permit. Free use permits can be picked up from the Ranger District Office in Cascade.

Contact the Cascade Ranger District office at 208-382-7400 for information or questions.