Non-Wood Forest Products

The gathering of other forest products for personal use, such as mushrooms, transplants, huckleberries, etc. is FREE (with some requiring a valid permit). Charge permits are required for Post and Poles. Please adhere to the regulations and best practices (summarized below) while gathering Forest Products. For questions, call your local ranger station.

Those interested in collecting forest products need to first contact the Lolo National Forest by phone or visit an office location in person to determine if a permit is needed for the product you wish to collect. Some office locations may offer permits by mail. Please inquire over the phone. 

Please observe these guidelines for forest products:

• Mushrooms - visit the mushroom harvesting page for permit information and collection best practices.
• Huckleberries - may be gathered in quantities up to 10 gallons for free without a permit.
• Boughs – may be gathered in quantities up to 100lbs for free without a permit.  Please limit collections to utility corridors and along road cut/fill slopes.
• Beargrass – may be gathered in quantities up to 20lbs for free without a permit.
• Transplants - please contact your local ranger district to obtain a free use permit.
• Post and Pole – charge permits are required and can be obtained by contacting your local ranger district.

Best practices

• 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.
• Many native plant species transplant readily into gardens, however, for various reasons some native species are very sensitive and have a high rate of mortality when transplanted. In selecting species to transplant, rely upon information from gardeners and nurseries, on which species survive best. Transplanting works best when plants are dug on cool days and replanted immediately. It is best to keep roots moist and not allow them to come in contact with air. Water well the first growing season. Most plants, especially shrubs and trees, transplant best when dormant (fall or early spring). To help increase a transplant’s chance of survival, mark the North side of the tree before removal and then line up the same side when you re-plant it.