Sales of Forest Products – General

Each District or Field Office may have varying price schedules and regulations on where cutting or collection may be allowed. The prices described below are taken from the State’s appraisal price schedule and are minimum prices. Harvesting forest products from certain areas (Wilderness, Wilderness Study Areas, and campgrounds) is generally not allowed, one exception to this is the hand collection of pinyon pine nuts for personal use. You may obtain permits/contracts for harvesting forest products by stopping in your local BLM office, or some offices also offer a permit thru the mail system. Forest products must be paid for in advance of harvest, and the permits or contracts are required to be in possession while harvesting and transporting.

To transport Forest Products within the State of Nevada you are required to have proof-of-ownership (which can be the contract or permit), and you may also be required to have a State transportation permit (shipping permit). An example of when a State transportation permit is required is when someone is transporting more than 5 Christmas trees at one time. Many offices also require “load tickets” to be attached to the product, in a visible location, when transporting firewood.

Road Maintenance fees may also be attached to the product price. These fees range from 20 to 50 percent of the product value. An example for this is: A Christmas tree which has a base cost of $3.00 may have a road maintenance fee of $1.00 added, which brings the total cost of the tree to $4.00. The collected road maintenance fees are only allowed to be used to maintain roads that service forest product harvest areas.

Firewood

Wood cutting permits/contracts on public lands in Nevada are offered to both the general public and commercial harvesters. Minimum product pricing is $5.00 per cord for pinyon pine, Utah juniper and aspen; while mountain mahogany is $10.00 per cord. The public may harvest deadwood (standing or down) from most unrestricted public lands, while greenwood harvest is mostly limited to designated areas. Commercial harvesters mainly have designated areas to work in, and if there is no competition for the product, are able to negotiate a sale. Otherwise, if there is product competition they will have the opportunity to competitively bid for a contract.

Christmas Trees

There is nothing better than having a fresh-cut Christmas tree. It is a great family activity and harvesting Christmas trees is also usually good for the forest as each time one is cut you are helping the forest from becoming overcrowded which also reduces forest fire severity. Christmas tree cutting permits/contracts on public lands in Nevada are also offered to both the general public and commercial harvesters. Most offices limit the number of permits sold to any one individual at five, however, if you are simply buying the permits for other family members or friends and not reselling the trees, this limit may be waived. The most common species allowed for harvest are pinyon pine and Utah juniper. Fir trees may be allowed in some areas. The minimum price for a Christmas tree is $3.00. The public may harvest Christmas trees from most unrestricted public lands, while commercial harvesters have designated areas for harvest and typically have to competitively bid on the areas.

Note: Most communities offer Christmas tree recycling programs. This program provides for a second use of your tree – Mulch.

Pinyon Pine Nuts

The collection of pinyon pine nuts hits the top of the list for many Nevadan’s traditions. Families (each household) may collect up to 25 pounds each year with no cost or permit being required. If a family intends to collect more than 25 pounds in any given year, a permit is required for the additional nuts. Almost all public lands are open to the general public for pinyon pine nut collection. The minimum price for pine nuts is $0.25 per pound. All pine nuts that are intended for resale require a permit/contract. BLM Nevada has designated commercial sale areas which are advertised for sale each year in August.

Posts

Both line and corner posts are offered for sale, with the minimum price being set at $0.40 per post. Utah juniper makes an excellent post and depending on the soils it is set in, has a fairly long service life. Harvest areas vary from designated areas only to district-wide.

Wildings (live transplants)

Numerous native species (excluding threatened or endangered) are allowed to be collected throughout the state. The minimum price for wildings vary by size with plants up to 6 feet in height being $3.00 each, plants 6 to 10 feet being $12.00 each, and plants over 10 feet being $24.00 each. 

Woody Biomass

The utilization of woody biomass is encouraged throughout the state. The minimum price for woody biomass varies with the type of biomass being taken. If whole tree biomass is being offered, the minimum price is $10.00 per green ton. If the limbs, branches, tops of trees, or other woody biomass (i.e. shrubs) is being offered, the minimum price is $0.05 per green ton.

Other Seed

Other seed (Indian rice grass, needle and thread grass, four-wing, forage kochia, mountain mahogany, etc.) is sold throughout the state. Seed may be sold to commercial collectors either on a negotiated basis or competitively if competition is warranted. Seed prices fluctuate throughout the year, and the BLM’s appraised price is set at ten percent of the current whole-sale price for each particular species.

Campfire wood

Those camping on public lands are allowed to collect campfire wood from the local surrounding area to be used at their camping location, with no cost or permit being required. Note: The BLM highly discourages transporting firewood from one area to another, especially from state to state, as this practice is a mode of transporting forest insects that can have serious effects to the forested area the wood is brought to.