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Forest Products Permits
A permit is required to collect any forest product in bulk or for commercial purposes. Some forest products may be collected in limited quantities for personal use without a permit, but a free or fee permit may be required so check with your local Ranger District.
You don’t need a permit to gather small amounts of:
- Fruits and nuts
- Pinecones
- Mushrooms
- Ramps
- Wood for campfires: Campers on national forest lands may collect firewood without a permit while camping. You can’t cut any trees, but you can gather wood on the ground for your campfire.
- Some rocks or fossils. Contact your nearest district office for more information.
- Some flowers and vegetation
You do need a permit for:
Fuel Wood Permits
You are allowed to gather down and dead wood on the national forest after you obtain a Fuel Wood Permit from a District Office. Wood gathered under this permit is for personal use only.
You are allowed to gather down and dead wood on the national forest after you obtain a Fuel Wood Permit from a District Office. Wood gathered under this permit is for personal use only.
Permits cost $20.00 and are good for six months from date of issue. The permit allows you to gather 4 cords of wood from the National Forest in North Carolina.
To purchase a permit, you will need to know the year, make, model, color, license plate number, state of issue, and size of truck bed of the vehicle that you will be using to gather fuel wood.
Contact your nearest District Office for information about obtaining a permit. Please note that these permits are not available at the Forest Supervisor's Office in Asheville, NC.
Please sign and return one copy of the permit to the ranger district office that issued it.
Where can I gather wood on the forest? Wood can be gathered anywhere on the National Forest in North Carolina EXCEPT:
Recreation Areas, Wilderness Areas, and Marked Timber Sale Areas.
Where can I drive my vehicle to get the wood? Vehicles can only be operated on open roads. Cross country driving is prohibited.
How much wood can be gathered? You are permitted to gather FOUR cords of wood
How much is four cords? 8 loads in a truck with an 8-foot long bed. 11 loads in a truck with a 6-foot long bed. 16 loads in a mini-pickup truck.
Other things to keep in mind... Display your permit on your dashboard while gathering wood. Make sure you are not on private land. Private land holdings are common within National Forest areas. The boundary between private and public land is normally a three-foot corridor with marked trees on each side. Private land is behind ONE red blaze. National Forest land is behind TWO red blazes. Check page 3 of the permit for other restrictions specific to the ranger district you are cutting on.
Prohibited uses:
Collecting American Ginseng
You cannot collect any portion of the American ginseng plant for personal or commercial use from the National Forests in North Carolina. Ginseng populations have declined over the last several decades due to continued harvest of the plant for consumption and sale. Ginseng is a listed as a threatened species through the Endangered Plant and Insect Species Act. The management plan for the National Forests in North Carolina prohibits issuing permits for the collection of a threatened or locally rare species, making ginseng harvest prohibited. The management plan for the National Forests in North Carolina specifically prohibits the harvest of ginseng. Removing any portion of the ginseng plant from the national forest comes with strict penalties, including a fine of up to $5,000, six months in jail or both.
Cutting Christmas Trees
You cannot cut Christmas trees on the National Forests in North Carolina. We do not issue permits for cutting Christmas trees.
Collecting Historic and Prehistoric Artifacts
Taking any historic or prehistoric artifact from national forest land is strictly prohibited. Historic items may include old nails, glassware and household utensils that were once used during early settlement years. Prehistoric items may include arrowheads, pottery and other objects that are centuries old. Any ground or earth disturbing activity is prohibited where historic and prehistoric artifacts may occur.
Features
Ginseng harvesting permits will not be issued in 2021
The Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests will not issue American ginseng harvest permits this year due to continued declines and low population levels observed through monitoring and surveys.
Alerts & Warnings
- Hurricane Helene: Nantahala National ClosuresForest
- Hurricane Helene: Pisgah National Forest Closures
- Uwharrie Ranger District- Kings Mountain Point Fishing Pier Closure
- Pisgah Ranger District- Catheys Creek Road Closure
- Dogs Must be Leashed in Bent Creek
- Roan Mountain Recreation Area CLOSED For 2024 Season
- Avery Creek Rd closed due to storm damages