Forest Products Permits

Fuelwood (Firewood) Permits

Please visit our Offices webpage for office hours and locations.

The Travel Management Rule is in effect on the Prescott NF. Unless specified elsewhere on the permit or identified as prohibited, motorized off-road travel is restricted to 50-feet off roadways. Please use a Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM), available free at all of our offices, in conjunction with your firewood guide. Roads that are not identified as “open” roads on the MVUM are closed.

Download or view MVUM Maps

Permit Fees

The cost of a permit varies according to the type of wood to be harvested. Dead and down wood is $2.00 a cord.  A cord of wood is defined as a neatly stacked pile, 8-feet long by 4-feet wide by 4-feet high (see instructions, page 2 below). Personal use paid permits allow the cutting of dead and down wood or standing dead wood that meets certain criteria in specified areas.

• 2025 Fuelwood Cutting Instructions 
• 2025 Fuelwood Cutting Map  

The minimum purchase allowed is ten cords for $20.00. The maximum allowed is twenty cords per household per year. Green Wood Permits are occasionally offered. Information can be obtained on these occasional sales by calling the main office at 928-443-8000.

Load Tag System

The Prescott National Forest fuelwood program is using a load tag system.  Instructions are attached to each permit. 

Permit Conditions

1. An individual may specify one designated cutter at the time of purchase. The designated cutter’s name will be added to the permit at the time of purchase. Designated cutters cannot be changed or added after purchase.
    
2. Wood is only to be cut or gathered in areas specified on the permit.
    
3. Stump height shall not exceed 12 inches.
    
4. The amount of wood gathered must be recorded on the permit in ink and the appropriate number of load tickets must be attached to the load before leaving the cutting area.
    
5. Cut on National Forest land only.
    
6. Chain saw restrictions may apply during fire season.

Not all dead wood is fair game

Trimming dead limbs from live trees is not permitted on the forest, and standing dead trees may only be cut if they meet standards listed below. Before cutting any dead tree, check it carefully for signs of wildlife habitation. If it contains woodpecker holes or other large cavities, it most likely is providing a valuable home for birds and other small mammals. These trees are generally rotten and wouldn't make good firewood anyway, so please don't destroy an "Animal Inn".

Rules for cutting standing dead trees:

1. Dead standing pinyon and juniper are available to cut regardless of size unless obvious wildlife cavities are present or the tree is signed as a wildlife tree.
    
2. NO CUTTING OF ANY STANDING OAK, DEAD OR ALIVE
   • You may take dead & down wood, limbs, old logs, and chunks of wood lying on the ground; however, you may not take any wood that is marked with paint or left in logging decks (stacks of logs, usually at the road side ready to be loaded on a log truck).
      
   • Unless there are signs posted indicating firewood gathering is prohibited, you may remove wood from piles left behind as waste by road construction or logging operations. 
      
   • These piles are usually of a dome type shape and include logging slash, limbs, tops of trees and unusable larger pieces, but be sure to stack all that you don't use back on the pile.

Before you head for the forest to cut firewood, check the following list:

1. Do you have your permit and load tickets and a means of fastening tickets to the load?
    
2. Have you checked road conditions and closures?
    
3. Have you checked the fire danger level and restrictions?
    
4. Have you studied your map so you know where you're permitted to cut wood?
    
5. Did you tell someone where you're going and when you expect to be back?

Thank you.