Non-Wood Forest Products
Special forest products are non-wood, non-timber goods that can be found in the forest such as mushroom, beargrass leaves, fern greens, pine cones, evergreen boughs and huckleberries. Because many of these items have a commercial value, they may be over-harvested if not managed. In order to protect these resources, yet make them available to the public, the Flathead National Forest has adopted collection limits for these products. The forest has developed a Special Forest Products Plan to assure sustainable harvest of these resources into the future.
Obtaining Forest Product Permits
Listed below are the limits, fees, and permit requirements for most products available. All limits and fees are for personal use only, and apply to one adult per calendar year. Gathering any product to be sold is considered commercial harvesting. Some of these products may be harvested in greater quantities for commercial use, however, different permits and fees are required. For more information about commercial harvesting, and more details on the limits and permit requirements for these and other products, please contact your local ranger district office.
Guidelines and Best Practices:
- Follow all limits and excluded products as outlined in the Forest Products Permit Guidelines.
- Protect future harvests. Reduce impacts to the fungi by not disturbing the soil. No raking, digging, or other ground disturbances are allowed when collecting mushrooms. Cut or break off mushrooms at ground level.
- Road Access: Motor Vehicle Use Maps for designated motorized roads and seasonal closures are available for download online. Motorized travel off designated roads and trails is prohibited.
- Collect from a wide-ranging area, do not limit all your collecting to a small area.
- If there is any ground disturbance, do your best to fill in the hole and cover with sod or dead plant material. Try not to leave exposed bare soil, as this is where weeds become established.
No permit or fee required up to 10 gallons.
No commercial permits are being offered at this time.
INCIDENTAL USE
No permit or fee is required for collecting up to 5 gallons of mushrooms per person, per year.
1 gallon per day possession limit.
A FREE-USE PERMIT is required for each person,
12 years and older, to collect between 5 and 20 gallons of mushrooms per year.
5 gallons per day possession limit.
All mushrooms must be sliced lengthwise in half at the time of harvesting. Resale of mushrooms is prohibited. Permits are available at any Flathead National Forest office. Please refer to the Northern Region Mushroom Page for additional information.
Collection of fiddleheads and leaves only
Limit: 20 lbs. green weight. Free-use permit required which lists all species prohibited from collection.
Collection of SEEDS, FRUITS AND BERRIES (other than Huckleberries): No fees, limits or permits required.
No collection of flowering or seed heads allowed.
No permit or fees for up to 20 lbs per person per year. Amounts greater than 20 lbs. require commercial use permit.
No permit required for up to 5 trees per year, less than 4.5 feet in height. Free Personal Use Permit required to collect 5-20 trees(No Cedar or Pacific Yew).
Free Use Permit required: Up to 20 plants total. Free-use permit lists all species prohibited from collection.
Free Use permit required for any collecting.
Free-use permit required which lists all species prohibited from collection. Limit: 1 lb. dry weight.
No permit or fee required for up to 100 lbs. green weight (except for Pacific Yew which has a 50lb. limit) per year. Amounts greater than 100 lbs. (or 50 lbs. for Pacific Yew) requires a commercial-use permit.
No fee, but free-use permits with quantity limits are required for certain species. Check with your local Forest Service office.
Minerals permit required for up to 4 tons/year maximum. Use of hand tools only for loose rock.