Permits

You can now purchase your permit online at recreation.gov/tree-permits

Prefer to shop in person? No problem!  Christmas tree permits are also available through local vendors. 

Bly

Bonanza

Chiloquin

Lakeview

Klamath Falls

Keno

Where to Cut Your Tree

• The Fremont-Winema National Forest’s Christmas tree permits are valid for use on the Forest in Klamath and Lake Counties.
• Cut trees only within the national Forest boundary and respect surrounding private property. It is the responsibility of the cutter to ensure they are not getting their tree from private, state, or other federal lands.
• A valid Sno-Park Permit issued by the Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is required for parking at designated Sno-Parks. Sno-Park Permits are sold by DMV, permit agents at resorts, sporting goods stores, and at other retail outlets.
• When searching for your Christmas tree on the Fremont-Winema National Forest, be sure to use designated motorized roads and to be aware of seasonal road closures. Maps and travel publications are available online.
• Certain Forest roads are designated as snowmobile trails when sufficient snow is present and closed to motor vehicle traffic.
• Do not cut in active timber sales or areas that have been planted with new trees. Do not cut in wilderness areas, experimental forests, tree plantations, developed recreation areas, administrative sites, or in any other posted area. Do not cut trees within 100 feet of stream banks.

Selecting Your Tree

• The Fremont-Winema National Forest has limitations on the size of the tree you can cut and the species of trees that are permitted. See below to help you measure and choose a tree that meets your permit's guidelines.
• You must print and bring your Christmas Tree Permit with you. This permit must be displayed on the dashboard of your vehicle at all times while cutting and transporting a Christmas tree on the Fremont-Winema National Forest.
• The following tree species may be cut on the Forest’s Bly, Lakeview, Paisley, and Silver Lake ranger districts: Ponderosa pine, Lodgepole pine, white fir, and incense cedar.
• The following tree species may be cut on the Forest’s Chemult, Chiloquin, and Klamath ranger districts: Ponderosa pine, Lodgepole pine, and white fir.
• Tree Height: 15 feet maximum, Stump diameter: 6 inches maximum
• Choose a tree from a dense forested area, which will give the remaining trees more space to grow. If snow is on the ground, remove it from around the stump so you can accurately measure the stump diameter and tree height.
• Take the whole tree. Do not remove the top of the tree; cut down the entire tree. Cut the tree as close as possible to the ground and leave as little of the stump as possible, less than 12 inches.
• Cut off live limbs remaining on the stump and scatter them. Clear branches and debris from road banks and ditches.

Planning Your Trip

How to Plan Your Trip

• Cutting a Christmas tree on the Fremont-Winema National Forest is a great holiday tradition for many families and helps with hazardous fuels reduction by removing smaller trees from the Forest. Following are some tips to make your experience more enjoyable:
• All Forest Offices are open for phone calls Monday through Friday from 8 am to 4:30 pm and can answer questions regarding Christmas tree cutting, current conditions, and roads. The offices will be closed Monday, November 11, in observance of Veteran's Day and Thursday, November 28, in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.
• Before you leave home, be sure to measure the space where you plan to place the tree in your home (height and width), and measure the space in your vehicle where you will be transporting the tree.
• Cell service may be spotty or unavailable. Be sure someone knows where you are and when to expect you back. Check the latest weather conditions, Forest warnings, and road closures before you leave on your trip. Start your day early. Be sure to harvest your tree and leave the woods before dark. Bring plenty of food and water with you as well as an overnight survival kit in case you become stranded. Dress warmly and take extra dry clothes. Expect winter weather, including cold temperatures, snow and winds. Bring a map with you. Don’t rely on GPS because it may not be up to date with forest service roads.
• Wet dirt roads can quickly turn to mud, making it possible to get stuck and cause damage to road, soil, and water resources. If there are puddles in the road, mud flipping off the tires, or you can see your ruts in the rearview mirror, consider pulling over and taking a hike to look for a tree, or turning around and finding a different area to cut your tree.
• Roads may not be plowed. Carry tire chains, shovel(s) and a tow chain. Be sure your vehicle has a full tank of gas. Bring a spare key and give it to someone else in your party. Don’t get locked out of your car! Park in areas so that traffic can get by safely, and do not block gates.
• We don't recommend bringing your pets, but if you do, they must be on a leash.

Helpful Cutting Tips

• Carry your tree carefully out of the woods. Dragging the tree will rub off needles and bark.
• If the tree is too big to transport inside of your vehicle, wrap it in canvas to prevent wind damage.
• Once home, cut at least one inch off the base of the trunk and place the freshly cut trunk in a bucket of water. Replenish water daily.
• If storing your tree outside for a few days before putting it in the house, keep it in an area protected from the wind, such as the north or east side of your house or under a shaded tree.
• Tools you might want to consider bringing with you include a measuring tape to ensure you select a tree that fits in your home; handsaw to cut your tree; gloves to protect your hands; boots to protect your feet; a tarp to sit on and/or to move your tree once it's cut; and rope or straps to secure your tree to your vehicle.
• Cut your tree early in the season before favorite cutting areas can’t be reached because of snow.

Firewood Program Overview

Whitebark Pine listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act

It is illegal to remove, possess or damage Whitebark Pine on federal lands. Use the identification guide prior to cutting or collecting firewood.

1. Whitebark Pine Identification Guide

Personal Use Firewood

Two types of firewood permits are available on the Fremont-Winema National Forest: 

1. Personal Use Firewood Permits are intended for personal use only and not for resale.
2. Commercial Firewood Permits are for those cutting firewood for resale purposes.

Personal use firewood cutting is available on the Fremont-Winema National Forest. Those wishing to cut their own firewood can obtain a woodcutting permit from the Fremont-Winema National Forest Supervisor's Office or local district offices on the Forest.

The Firewood Assistance Program or third-party cutting is for those with physical or medical limitations unable to cut their own firewood. To acquire this permit, both the firewood recipient and third-party woodcutter need to be present to purchase a permit and tags. Requirements and rules are the same as a Personal Use Firewood Permit.  Third party cutters are limited to 5 permits a year.

• Forest Wide Firewood Information (PDF)
• Klamath Ranger District Firewood Regulations (PDF)
• Klamath Ranger District Firewood Map (PDF)
• Silver Lake and Paisley Ranger Districts Firewood Map (PDF)
• Bly and Lakeview Ranger Districts Firewood Map (PDF)
• Chemult and Chiloquin Ranger Districts Firewood Map (PDF)

All firewood permits expire on December 31 of the year issued, with no extension.  Both the woodcutting permit, and the woodcutting tags need to be in the woodcutter’s possession when gathering and transporting wood.

Woodcutters need to follow fire prevention requirements: 

Chainsaw exhaust systems must be in good repair with a screen-type spark arrester of .023 inches or less. 

A shovel and pressurized chemical fire extinguisher of not less than 8-ounce capacity by weight must be present.

Always check the Industrial Fire Precaution Level (IFPL) and current fire restrictions before heading out to cut firewood on the Forest. This information is available at any Fremont-Winema National Forest Office or the Lakeview Interagency Fire Center. The best woodcutting times are in the spring and fall when fire danger low and weather is favorable. Contact local Ranger District offices for details.

Commercial Firewood Permits

If you want to cut firewood on the Fremont-Winema National Forests to sell to other people, you would be classified as a Commercial Firewood cutter and would be subject to a different set of rules. For information about obtaining a Commercial Firewood Permit, contact your nearest Ranger District office.

Deschutes, Fremont-Winema, Umpqua, and Willamette National Forests have one or more of the following permits:

• Matsutake Mushroom Free Use
• Matsutake Mushroom Commercial Use
• All Mushroom Species (except Matsutake) Free Use
• All Mushroom Species (except Matsutake) Commercial Use

The following materials are required to be on person for the Fremont-Winema National Forest:

• 2025 Fremont-Winema, Deschutes, Umpqua, and Willamette National Forests Mushroom Synopsis
• Fremont-Winema Mushroom Harvest North Map
• Fremont-Winema Mushroom Harvest South Map

Matsutake Mushrooms

Matsutake Mushrooms Use table

A Commercial Permit must be purchased for the picking of any Matsutake mushroom on National Forests that are harvested for resale.

*Matsutake Free Use permits may be available on some forests and will be valid only within designated free use areas. Free/recreational use permits will be issued only at the Ranger Stations on those forests with designated free use areas.

Matsutake free/recreational use mushrooms must be cut in half lengthwise, stem through cap, and both halves separated at the time of harvest, prior to leaving the area.

All Mushroom Species except Matsutake

Commercial Use and Free Use Permits are available for all species of mushrooms.

All Mushroom Species EXCEPT Matsutake table

Like free/recreational use matsutake mushrooms, all species of free/recreational use mushrooms will be cut in half lengthwise, stem through cap, and both halves separated at the time of harvest.

Mushroom Harvest Regulations 

• Everyone must have a valid permit and a harvest area map in their possession to gather, transport or sell mushrooms gathered on participating National Forests. A harvest area map is not required on the Fremont National Forest, all areas are marked on the ground.
• Harvesters must be 18 or older and have valid identification to purchase a permit.
• All tools for matsutake harvest will not exceed 1” (one inch) and 18” (eighteen inches) long; raking or other ground disturbance prohibited.
• Written permission is required to camp on any National Forest while harvesting mushrooms commercially and will be allowed only in areas designated by the Forest Service. Camping spaces may be limited and a fee may be charged.
• Commercial mushroom picking is prohibited within: Crater National Park, Newberry National Volcanic Monument, H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest, Davis Late Successional Reserve, Research Natural Areas, Wildernesses, Developed Recreation Areas and other designated non-harvest areas.

On the Umpqua and Willamette National Forests, three additional regulations apply:

1) at least one-third of the mushroom caps on the collection area (of the same species as being collected) should be left intact to release spores (FW-337).

2) no harvest of truffles is allowed,

3) no commercial collection of mushrooms will be allowed in Late Successional Reserves, and on both the Umpqua and Willamette N. F’s. no harvest within riparian areas (any stream [Class 1 thru 4], ponds or wet areas).

At the time of this printing, the Willamette, Deschutes, and Fremont/Winema National Forests have implemented the “Travel Management Rule.” The Motorized Vehicle Use decisions depicting roads open to public motor vehicle use are reflected on their respective mushroom maps.

Mushroom Buyers:
People wishing to operate buying stations on National Forest Land must obtain a permit. Check with a local Ranger District Office for permit information as not all Districts allow buyers on National Forest Land.

A special use permit is required to conduct outfitting or guiding activities on National Forest System land.

A recreation event permit is required for any event where an entry or participation fee is charged, or where paid membership in a group or organization is a prerequisite for participation.

Like other commercial uses of National Forest lands and resources, commercial filming requires a special use permit.