Permits

The term "special forest products" applies to forest resources that are not associated with timber sale contracts. To ensure a continuing supply of special forest products, the Bureau of Land Management and the USDA Forest Service are working together to create uniform harvesting regulations on federally managed land in the Northwest. 

To remove resources from federal land, you generally must have a "special forest products" permit. No permit is required for incidental amounts of some products, for personal use such as up to 20 pounds (2 large armloads) of greenery (boughs, ferns, salal, etc.); 8 gallons (1 bushel) or less of cones, up to 60 mushrooms or 3 gallons (whichever is less volume) of mushrooms, or up to 3 gallons of huckleberries. 

If you have any questions about incidental products, please contact the district you will be visiting. If you are removing more than incidental amounts of a product for personal use, you must get a "personal use" permit. If you are pursuing a commercial venture, you must obtain a "commercial use" permit. 

Please check with the District Office nearest you for information on where to obtain the permit you need.

*Please note the Colville National Forest does not issue commercial use permits for huckleberries.

The Colville National Forest staff offer free personal use firewood authorizations at our offices using a self-service procedure. The authorization allows removal of up to 12 cords of firewood per household. Please note the authorization obtained at a Forest Service office will not look exactly like those obtained during prior years, but terms and conditions are the same as in years past and will be valid for the /r06/colville/permits/lands-special-uses season (April 1, 2025, to May 31, 2026).

Here’s how it works:

• Colville National Forest district offices and the headquarters in Colville will each provide a self-service station to obtain your free 12-cord authorization and firewood cutting packet in an area accessible to the public (typically outside the visitor entrance door).
• Visit the office during business hours to pick up a packet and take it with you.
• Fill out the authorization before cutting firewood.
• Follow the rules on the maps and the terms and conditions in the packet.
• Record your firewood cutting activity on the firewood quantity removal record.
• If you have questions about firewood cutting, please call the nearest Colville National Forest office.
• Carry both the authorization and the digital firewood cutting map with you while cutting firewood on the Colville National Forest.

When woodcutting, always be sure to carry the fire equipment listed on the woodcutting permit and properly secure the load of wood. The required equipment listed on the Firewood Permit includes a saw with an exhaust system in good repair with a screen-type spark arrester of 0.023 inches or less and qualified under USDA Forest Service standards; a long-handled round pointed shovel with an 8-inch blade; and pressurized chemical fire extinguisher of not less than 8-ounce capacity by weight.

Research weather and road conditions prior to departing, know before you go. As the snow melts, some roads become soft and muddy. Avoid traveling these roads to prevent resource damage. Spring conditions are notoriously unpredictable, always have an escape plan. Let someone know where you’re going and have the proper supplies for your trip.

Both the woodcutting permit and the woodcutting map need to be in the woodcutter’s possession when gathering wood. Always check to find out what the Industrial Fire Precaution Level is before heading to the woods to do some woodcutting. This information is available at any Colville National Forest office. The best woodcutting times are in the spring and fall. Contact local Ranger District offices for details.

No Christmas tree cutting permit is required for the 2025 season.

General guidelines for cutting a Christmas tree follow:

• Most of the Colville National Forest is open to Christmas tree cutting. However, cutting is prohibited on privately owned and state land within the National Forest boundary, in posted plantations, campgrounds, administrative sites, and other areas where posted.
• Please remove the entire tree, not just the top (leave no more than a 6-inch stump).
• Each family may harvest two trees.

Depending on size, the uses for posts and poles is as varied as a person can invent or imagine. Pole permits are available from Ranger District offices of the Colville National Forest (keep in mind that quantities are limited on some Ranger Districts). Some green post and pole material may be available at specific Ranger Districts. Ask for details. No commercial permits available.

Beargrass is an evergreen shrub of the Lily family and not a grass, despite its common name. It is a long-lived plant whose leaves can grow to a length of 36 inches. The stronger, thinner, more pliable center leaves are preferred for both basket making and floral arrangements.

The minimum permit purchase price is $20 (200 lbs. at 10-cents lb.). Collection areas are open starting in early to mid-June depending upon weather conditions. For information regarding locations to find Beargrass contact District offices.

Permits, Requirements & Fees

• Personal Use: There is no permit or fee required for an individual to harvest up to 3 gallons per day of mushrooms.  Mushrooms must be cut lengthwise while possessing, storing, or transporting.
• Commercial Permit: There are currently no commercial permits available.

Mushroom Etiquette

Due to the delicate life cycle of mushrooms there are a few things you can do to protect the species in your favorite areas. These few steps may help to sustain your mushroom picking pleasure into the future: 1) Pick only two-thirds of the mushrooms you find. Do not collect mushrooms from previously harvested areas; leave the rest for seed (spores) and food for wildlife. 2) Minimize the impacts to the actual fungus by not disturbing the ground habitat. This means do not use rakes, dogs, pigs or other methods to dig mushrooms. Use a knife to cut the mushroom to minimize the impact to the fungus.

Know Your Mushrooms

Each year interest grows in harvesting wild mushrooms from National Forests. Proper identification and determination of whether a mushroom is edible is the responsibility of the picker. Many forest mushroom varieties are poisonous. There are many guidebooks available to assist with identification. Some forests offer field guides for sale. Your local library, county extension office, and local Mycological Society are good sources of information. Our word to the wise is: WHEN IN DOUBT... LEAVE IT IN THE WOODS!

How many gallons may my family harvest per day?

• While you may harvest 3 gallons per day per person, we ask that you only harvest what you and your family can consume. If everyone takes the maximum amount, it will leave very little for others wishing to harvest and the wildlife that depend on mushrooms for food.

Can I sell the mushrooms I pick?

• No. Commercial use permits are not available on the Colville National Forest

Where can I pick mushrooms?

• Mushrooms may be harvested anywhere in the Colville National Forest unless otherwise posted. Your local Ranger District will have specific information and restrictions.
• Burned areas will have numerous new hazards including weakened burned trees, burning stump holes covered in ash, unstable soils, risk of rolling rocks, debris flows and hazardous road conditions. In some cases, areas will remain closed to public access due to hazards. In areas that are open, rehabilitation operations may begin in the spring and temporary closures may be enacted due to heavy equipment and aircraft working in the area.

Dozens of special forest products are currently in use, and new uses for these products are being discovered every day. Scientists are finding that traditional uses for some plants are as valid today as they were in ancient times. To ensure a lasting supply of special forest products, remember that some areas/and or certain species of plants are restricted from harvesting. These restrictions ensure the continued availability of forest products from the Colville National Forest. In addition, many plants are considered sensitive, threatened for endangered.

For more information about collecting other forest products (such as cones, evergreen boughs, wildflowers, herbs, nuts and berries, moss, burls, bark, driftwood, rocks, soapstone, precious stones, agates, geodes, and garnets) please contact any Colville National Forest office.