Forest Products Industry
The National Forests were originally envisioned as working forests with multiple objectives: to improve and protect the forest, to secure favorable watershed conditions, and to furnish a continuous supply of timber for the use of citizens of the United States. Forest management objectives have evolved over time, but the goal continues to be to sustain our Nation’s Forests and Grasslands and deliver benefits to the public. Timber sales and other removals of forest products support our agency objectives to foster resilient, adaptive ecosystems to mitigate climate change, mitigate wildfire risk, and strengthen communities.
Wood products available to the public include firewood, Christmas trees, tree transplants, and posts and poles. Non-timber forest products, or special forest products, include foods such as plants, wild edible mushrooms, fruits and nuts; medicinal plants and fungi; floral greenery and horticultural stock; fiber, oil resins, and other chemical extracts from plants, lichens, and fungi; as well as fuelwood and small diameter wood used for poles, posts, and carvings.
Special forest products are a vital part of local and regional economies in the Pacific Northwest and many products hold significant cultural value which represents a long history of ecological knowledge and local use.
Personal and Commercial Use permits are required in order to gather many special forest products. Permits may require a fee payment and must be obtained from Forest Service offices. Availability may vary by season and district office.
To learn what permits are required and available, please visit the specific national forest web page.
Forest Product Permit Types
Check with each individual forest for information on how & where to obtain your personal or commercial use permit. Some permits are available online, or from local vendors as well as forest district offices.
Holiday Tree permits:
- Forest offices: Christmas tree permits go on sale in late November at most national forests in the Rocky Mountain Region.
- Vendors: Check with each forest for a list of local vendors that are currently selling permits.
- Online: Christmas Tree Permits are now available online at Recreation.gov.
- Every Kid Outdoors initiative offers one free Christmas Tree permit to fourth-graders that have a valid 4th Grade Interagency Pass. These free Holiday Tree permits are only available at U.S. Forest Service District offices only.