Passes & Permits
Passes
Are you ready
to recreate on your National Forest lands? Detailed information can be
found at this Recreation
Passes and Permits page to help you determine whether
the expense of your recreational activity is covered through Forest Service
funding or requires a fee to help pay for the facilities and services
that you will be using. This page will help you understand where fees
exist and the variety of pass and permit options available to you.
To make the best choice on which pass to purchase, you
should think about your recreation plans for the next year. You have options
like simply buying a single day pass, a multi-day pass, or even an annual
pass that covers a forest or region. If you plan to recreate in many different
spots across the nation, an Interagency Annual Pass may be your best value.
You may also qualify for one of the Interagency Lifetime Passes (Interagency
Senior Pass or Interagency Access Pass).
The Interagency Recreation Passes can save you dollars
when you visit federal recreation areas such as National Forests and National
Parks, and recreation sites administered by the Bureau of Land Management
and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.These passes do not cover or reduce
special recreation permit fees or fees charged by concessionaires such
as the reservation fee that is charged by the National Recreation Reservation
Service and other reservation contractors or concessionaires for campgrounds
and other recreational facilities or activities.
About Recreation Fees
More and more
people recreate on National Forests and Grasslands every year. Meeting the
increasing needs of these visitors, delivering quality recreation, heritage
and wilderness opportunities, and protecting natural resources has become
challenging. To help address this issue, President Bush signed the Federal
Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (REA). The Act permits
federal land management agencies to continue charging modest fees at campgrounds,
rental cabins, high-impact recreation areas and at day-use sites that have
certain facilities.
Recreation Site Facility
Master Planning
(RS-FMP) Project
While the Northern Region provides a wide array of recreation
opportunities, some recreation sites on the forests and grasslands are beginning
to see the effects of time and years of use. Many of the Forest Service's
developed recreation sites were built some 30-50 years ago, and are reaching
the end of their designed life. Please visit our RS-FMP
page for more detailed information about this planning process.
Permits
Firewood Cutting
Permit
Firewood Cutting
permits may be purchased at your local Forest Service Office. The cost for
firewood cutting permits varies per Forest.The permit allows you to cut
down standing dead or downed timber on National Forest and Bureau of Land
Management lands within Montana and Northern Idaho. Firewood obtained under
this permit is intended for personal use only. It may not be used for commercial
resale.Any additional restrictions will be listed on each permit. Please
inquire at your local Ranger District office regarding commercial firewood
permits.
Christmas
Tree Permits
Each year from
mid-November through December, your local Forest Service Office sells permits
that allow you to cut a fresh Christmas tree on National Forest Lands. Fees
for the permit vary at each local office. The permit allows you to cut one
tree for your holiday festivities. It also helps the Forest Service thin
tree stands that have a concentration of smaller trees.
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