Forest Products Industry (non Timber)

Firewood

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Firewood collection provides the opportunity to supplement or replace conventional energy sources. After purchasing a permit, you may cut and remove firewood from the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests for personal use only, not for commercial sale. Permits can be purchased online or in person at the ranger district offices, however, please call for office hours and permit availability. Firewood permits are purchased with a minimum of 4 cords, $5 per cord, or a minimum $20 purchase and 10 cords are allowed, per year, per permittee.

Please remember it is your responsibility to know where you are harvesting at all times. Privately owned lands and State in-holdings within the National Forest boundaries are closed to harvest and those boundaries are not always marked clearly.

Dead Trees and Wildlife

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When cutting firewood, be on the lookout for telltale signs of animal life in trees before you cut. Wildlife needs the dead, hollow or fallen trees for food and family homes. Nearly all wildlife species benefit from "animal inns" that dead trees provide for food, nesting and shelter. The forest neighborhood changes, yet the way animals, plants and people depend on each other remains the same. Even as a tree dies, it continues to help sustain life to animal families and eventually to new plants and trees, as a new cycle begins. 

Brochure

Harvesting Rules

• Cut only unmarked standing dead or down trees.
• For an evergreen tree to be considered dead, ALL needles must be red, brown or absent.
• Do not collect firewood from active timber sale areas.  
• Stumps should be as close to the ground as possible or no more than 12 inches high.
• Measure the wood at the largest end with the maximum length being less than 8 feet on pieces that are 9 inches or larger in diameter.
• Do not cut standing dead trees that have bird cavities, nests, broken top, trunk holes or any signs of wildlife.
• Do not cut trees marked with paint or signs.

Where can I harvest firewood on the Forest?

The Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests are open to cutting and removing firewood in all areas, EXCEPT for the following:

• Within 100 feet of developed areas, including campgrounds, picnic areas, recreation sites and other buildings
• Within 500 feet of the Snowy Range Scenic Byway - WY Highway 130, and Battle Pass Scenic Byway - WY Highway 70
• Areas that have No Woodcutting signs
• Areas with active timber sales or logging operations
• Wilderness Areas, Research Natural Areas and Special Interest Areas
• Within 150 feet of live streams or lake shorelines

Also, within the following areas on these Ranger Districts:

• Laramie Ranger District

  The entire Pole Mountain Area, including Vedauwoo

• Hahns Peak/Bears Ears Ranger District

  The Fish Creek Falls Recreation Area

• Yampa Ranger District

  Within 300 feet of the Bear River Road, Forest Road 900

Forest Stewardship Requirements

• Slash and unused vegetative material resulting from the permittee's activities shall be removed from the area and scattered in the surrounding landscape.
• All slash resulting from the permittee's activities must be cut and scattered to lie less than 24 inches from the ground.
• During times of fire restrictions, you must bring an approved fire extinguisher and a shovel for dousing fires.
• Any smoking should be done inside a closed vehicle or in an area cleared of flammable materials.
• The permittee shall comply with fire requirements and current restrictions to prevent forest fires.
• Carry gasoline in an approved container equipped with a spout or use a funnel, so that gasoline does not spill on the saw or ground.
• An approved, working spark arrester system is required on the chainsaw.
• Remove all trash and litter resulting from the permittee's activities when you leave the site, including oily rags, used oil filters, garbage and other debris.
• Do not fell trees onto roads, trails or parking areas.
• Motorized travel up to 300 feet from the centerline of open Forest Service Roads, as identified on the current Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM), is permitted to gather firewood, but remember do not damage the vegetation.
• No mechanical equipment is allowed to cut, yard or load firewood and that includes, but is not limited to, yarders, skidders, winches, dozers, ATVs and UTVs. 

Measuring and Transporting Firewood

• A standard cord is defined as 128 cubic feet of wood and is a tight stack of wood that measures 4 feet by 4 feet by 8 feet.
• The permit must be in the permittee's possession while harvesting and transporting firewood.
• All load tags must have the month and day the firewood is being removed punched and displayed at all times.
• Load tickets must be securely attached to the load and visible from the rear of the vehicle and failure to do so may result in a citation.