Special Forest Products on the Tongass National Forest Whether you are interested in special forest products for subsistence, personal, or commercial use, this site can help you know what you should know before harvesting on the Tongass National Forest. What Are Special Forest Products (aka SFP)? In the Alaska Region of the Forest Service, SFP are defined as products derived from non-timber biological resources that are used for subsistence, personal, spiritual, educational, commercial, and scientific use.  SFP resources include, but are not limited to: mushrooms, boughs, Christmas trees, bark, ferns, moss, burls, berries, cones, conks, herbs, roots, and wildflowers.  Also included are cuttings (such as of willow used for restoration) and transplants (as for landscaping purposes).  SFP resources exclude saw-timber, pulpwood, cull logs, small round-wood, house logs, utility poles, minerals, animals, animal parts, rocks, water and soil (except for research samples where soil microorganisms are the target product). Types of SFP Use: To find out what requirements may apply to you, first you should know the category of your use.  The Tongass National Forest has different guidelines for each of four broad categories of use: Subsistence Use:  Gathering of SFP for customary and traditional uses by rural residents (as defined in ANILCA Title VIII) for direct personal or family use for consumption, barter, sharing, or customary trade (cash sale) that does not constitute a significant commercial enterprise. Personal Use:  Gathering of SFP resources for personal or family use or consumption, not otherwise defined as subsistence use, and including cultural and traditional use by non-rural residents.  Personal use resources cannot be sold or used for business activities. Other Non-commercial Uses:  This includes non-commercial research and educational uses. Commercial Use: Harvest of SFP resources that will be sold or used in business activities, not including customary trade in rural areas as described above. Research collections directed at development of a commercial product are also treated as commercial use. Subsistence and Personal Uses: These two categories are much the same in practice, but there are a few differences.  Neither use requires a permit (unless there are local conservation needs, which will be addressed locally).  Both can be practiced freely without fees on the national forest.  The main difference is that in rural areas, subsistence users may continue to practice customary trade, engaging in their traditional cottage industries without permitting requirements or fees, whereas non-rural residents gathering under personal use may not sell the resources or use them in business activities.  If you are engaged in cash sale, it is wise to check with the local ranger district office to determine if your activity is considered customary trade.  A larger industry, or one that uses non-traditional resources might be considered commercial use, even in a rural area. You can determine whether you live in a rural or non-rural area for subsistence purposes by consulting the Subsistence Management Regulations at the Office of Subsistence Management (See the section called "Do These Regulations Apply to You?"). It has maps of the non-rural areas.  All other areas are considered rural. Other Non-Commercial Uses: Those participating in non-commercial research or educational use should contact the local district to determine if their use indeed fits one of these categories.  If so, a free administrative use permit can be authorized.  Detailed information about the activity will be required to determine the location and quantity that can be authorized in this manner.  In some cases, environmental analysis may be needed. Commercial Use: Commercial use harvesters need to obtain a permit for their activities from the Forest Service unit where the harvesting will occur.  The following general guidelines apply to commercial use applicants. Before you apply for a commercial SFP use permit on the Tongass National Forest you should have a good idea what you want to harvest, how much, and from where.  Determine which Forest Service district(s) you want to harvest from.  The boundaries of the nine Tongass NF districts can be seen in overview by clicking here. (Commercial SFP harvest is not permitted in Wilderness or National Monument areas.)  To initiate the permit application process, the district SFP manager will need the following information from you: Name of the applicant.  This is the primary individual responsible for the harvest.  Names of others participating in the harvest or transport must also be listed, but kept to a minimum for one permit. Social Security number or Tax Identification number of the applicant Address and phone number of the applicant (email address optional) A complete list of all species that will be harvested, with scientific names.  For each species, indicate what part will be harvested (e.g. cuttings, bark, roots, whole plant). Quantities requested for each species in units of measure designated on the Regional SFP Minimum Rates Table for each product. Description of the proposed plant collection methods Locations of proposed harvest for each or all species.  Be as specific as possible and attach a map. Timing of proposed harvest (requested start and end dates for the permit - not to exceed one year's duration) (Optional)  Vehicle identification information.  For automobiles, the year, make, model, color and license plate number (with state).  For boats, the size, type, name and/or AK numbers. Be advised that your application may not be granted as requested.  In the process of environmental analysis harvest areas may be changed or resource quantities reduced or eliminated by species.  Because this process is required for your request, because district workloads are high, and because commercial use of SFP is relatively new to the Tongass, it is important to make your request well in advance of your proposed harvest date. Ranger Districts on the Tongass National Forest: For more information about the SFP program, permits, or to apply for commercial or non-commercial  use, contact the Ranger District where you would like to propose the activity.  Ranger District offices and other offices on the Tongass are listed - click here.  Policies Affecting Management of Special Forest Products on the Tongass National Forest: The following links provide the original documents that are used by the Tongass NF in management of SFP resources.  These documents are in pdf format, requiring Adobe Acrobat to view them. If this free program is not already on your computer, you can download it by clicking this icon: National Strategy For Special Forest Products:  This document sets the overall approach of the Forest Service toward the management of SFP nation-wide.  It is not a policy, but rather sets guidelines for developing policies and action plans. National Forest Service Handbook Policy:  This policy is currently in revision.  It provides national guidelines that all Forest Service regions and forests must follow in managing SFP resources. Alaska Region Interim Special Forest Product Resource management Policy:  This policy provides overall guidelines for management of SFP in the Alaska Region of the Forest Service.  It was developed with input from Alaska Native Tribes and the Public.  The interim policy will be finalized after the National policy revision is complete and implemented. Tongass National Forest Interim Special Forest Products Resource Management Policy:  This is an interim policy that was developed with participation from Alaska Native Tribes.  It will be used until the National and Alaska Region policies are finalized.  Then the interim forest policy will be finalized with input from the Public and Tribes. Forest Management |Tongass Home