Forest Products Permits
Forest Products are forest resources used for personal, commercial, or scientific purposes, including but not limited to bark, berries, boughs, bryophytes, bulbs, burls, Christmas trees, cones, ferns, firewood, forbs, fungi (including mushrooms), grasses, mosses, nuts, pine straw, roots, sedges, seeds, transplants, tree sap, wildflowers, fence material, mine props, posts and poles, shingle and shake bolts, and rails, or rocks. Not included for purchase are animals or animal parts; to purchase permits for animals, please consult with your local fish and game office for California and Nevada.
The purchase of Pinyon Pine cones or the collection thereof in amounts greater than in incidental amounts is prohibited within the boundaries of the Inyo National Forest.
All permit sales are final and payments are not subject to refunds.
Additional information regarding the sale of Forest Products is found on this page, or you can email inquiries to our Special Forest Products Inbox at SM.FS.INF.SFProducts@usda.gov.
Where to Collect
You can collect Forest Products within the boundaries of the Inyo National Forest or as specified on the associated map provided with your permit.
It is prohibited to collect in the following locations: Wilderness Areas, Research Natural Areas, Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area, administrative sites, campgrounds, developed recreation sites, or areas under Special Use Permit; private inholdings; active timber operations; areas designated as sensitive; or as signed as closed to collection
Where to Buy
Forest Product permits can purchased in-person at one of the following locations, unless otherwise specified:
Mono Basin Scenic Area Visitor Center – Highway 395 (at Mono Lake), Lee Vining or call (760) 647-3044
Mammoth Lakes Welcome Center – 2510 Main St., Mammoth Lakes or call (760) 924-5500
White Mountain Public Lands Info Center – 798 N. Main Street, Bishop or call (760) 873-2500
Eastern Sierra Visitor Center – Highway 395 and State Route136, Lone Pine or call (760) 876-6200
Forest Products not requiring a permit
A permit is not needed for collecting incidental or small amounts of Forest Products for personal or family use. Products collected for such use cannot be sold for profit. Collecting must be done in a responsible manner and the material being collected must be abundant.
| Examples of Personal or Family Use: |
|---|
| Pressing wildflowers or collecting wildflower seeds |
| Nuts, berries, pine cones, moss, or other plant materials |
| Rock or mineral samples |
| Examples of Incidental or Small Amounts: |
|---|
| Nuts, berries, or plant materials that can fit within a one gallon bag |
| Rocks or minerals within a five gallon bucket |
Scientific or Educational Use
Submit all requests for scientific or educational use of Forest Products to the Forest Products Inbox.
Include in your email request:
- Your Name and contact information
- Organization
- Purpose of the project and location
- Forest Product and species being harvested or studied
- How long the permit is needed
All requests require time to review, please keep that in mind when making your request.
Forest Products Available for Purchase
The Inyo National Forest offers permits to purchase Christmas Trees online at Recreation.gov from November to December each year.
Christmas Tree permits are 1 tree per permit and costs $20 per tree with an additional processing fee of $2.50.
| Christmas Tree Permits for other areas in the Eastern Sierra are available at: |
|---|
Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest 760-932-7070 |
BLM Bridgeport 760-873-2500 BLM Battle Mountain District/Tonopah Field Office 775-482-7800 |
The Inyo National Forest has long offered Transplants for purchase, whether they be for home landscaping or the traditional practice of yamadori for bonsai. Please contact one of the above visitor centers to schedule purchasing your permit today.
| Cost | Minimum for purchase | Maximum for purchase | How long is the permit valid? |
|---|---|---|---|
| $7.50 per plant | 3 | 40 in a given year | 1 year from the date of purchase |
When out collecting Transplants, please adhere to the following conditions:
- Do not collect plants within wilderness areas, research natural areas, Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area, administrative sites, campgrounds, developed recreation sites, or areas under Special Use Permit; private inholdings; active timber operations; areas designated as sensitive; or as signed as closed to collection.
- Collect whole plants as stated within the Product Designation accordingly; collection of plant clippings is prohibited under this permit. (a) Seedlings and Saplings measuring below waist height and no more than 1-inch in diameter at the root collar. Conifers with needles in clumps of 5 are prohibited from collection. (b) Bushes and Brushes measuring no more than 1-inch at its thickest part along the main stem. (c) Wildflowers with no more than 6 flowers shared between a common stem or root system. (d) Bunchgrasses measuring no more than 6-inches across.
- Do not collect more than 50-percent of the plants within a given area. Do not collect plants that are isolated by 30-feet or more from the nearest living plant of the same species.
- Use hand tools only to collect plants. The use of mechanical tools or equipment other than your personal vehicle is prohibited under this permit.
- Backfill and smooth out excavated holes created during the plant removal process before leaving the area.
Information regarding firewood permits can be found on our Firewood Permit page.
Commercial Permits
Currently, the Inyo National Forest does not issue commercial permits for timber. Please check the announcements on our page for future timber sale contracts.
Permits for commercial seed collection need to be evaluated before being issued. Evaluations of requests can take up to 60 days to complete. Please keep that in mind when making your request.
All requests should be sent via email to SM.FS.INF.SFProducts@usda.gov with the following information:
- Name of business or organization
- Primary contact Name, Phone Number, and Email
- Mailing address
- Seed type and quantity in pounds (reference the table below for seed species and prices)
- Location(s) provided in PLSS format (i.e., Township, Range, and Sections)
- An operations plan that details the method of collection, estimated timeline of collection, number of personnel, make, model and color of vehicles
- Other operational plans regarding fire, safety, and communication
- If you are planning to disperse camp, you need to complete a Dispersed Camping Permit, which will be provided upon request
Table for Seed Species and Prices*
| Seed species | Price |
|---|---|
| Brushes, including black sagebrush, mountain big sagebrush, rabbit brush, and burro brush | $0.13 / lb |
| Western needlegrass and Spiny hopsage | $0.20 / lb |
| Ephedra and Lupinus species, including Nevada jointfir, Mormon tea, and lupines | $0.25 / lb |
| Arrowleaf balsamroot and mule ears | $0.32 / lb |
| Flatbud prickly poppy | $0.34 / lb |
| Bottlebrush squirreltail | $0.40 / lb |
| Flowers, including desert trumpet, sulphur buckwheat, beardtongues, and woods rose (rose hips) | $0.70 / lb |
* Species not specified above will require additional time to evaluate to determine suitability, availability, and fair market value.