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Mendocino National Forest

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Passes & Permits

Personal Use Firewood Permits

To cut firewood for personal use on National Forest lands you must have a Personal Use Firewood Permit. Permits are available for purchase each year starting in the Spring and are valid for gathering firewood from the date of issue until December 31^st of the same year. The minimum volume of wood per permit is four cords, with the cost per cord at $5.00. Additional Permit Information »

In Mendocino and Lake Counties, there is a quarantine to prevent the spread of Sudden Oak Death disease (see below).

Remember:

When fire restrictions go into effect, permitees will only be allowed to transport wood to a road and cut the wood there. The use of chainsaws will be allowed when cutting wood on roads.
Keep your permit on the dashboard of your vehicle where it is visible through the windshield.
Fill out the bottom portion of the permit at the cutting site before you haul each load.
Travel together when hauling wood in more than one vehicle for the same permit.
A lost or stolen permit cannot be replaced or the fee refunded.

For further information, contact the Grindstone District at (530) 963-3128; the Upper Lake District at (707) 275-2361; the Covelo District at (707) 983-6118; or the Forest Supervisor's Office in Willows at (530) 934-3316. Customers can also call 530-934-1255, for a recorded message about any fire restrictions in place.

Sudden Oak Death Quarantine

Federal and State quarantines designed to prevent the spread of Sudden Oak Death (SOD) disease are in effect for Mendocino and Lake Counties. The quarantine prohibits the transportation of firewood, foliage and other potentially infested material outside of the counties in California that are under quarantine.

[Photograph]: Sudden Oak Death Quarantine Sign. The policy on the Mendocino National Forest is that firewood or other host material cut in Mendocino and Lake Counties can move into and between any of the quarantine counties, it cannot be moved out of quarantine counties. The Counties under quarantine are: Alameda, Contra Costa, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano and Sonoma Counties.

No firewood cutting is allowed on some areas of the forest because the road system leads into Glenn County which is outside the quarantine area. These areas are identified on the permit map.

Host material includes the stems, branches, leaves and twigs of any size from hardwood trees and small branches (less than 1 inch in diameter) and needles of Douglas-fir, white fir, and red fir.

With the public's cooperation we can minimize further spread of SOD. The Mendocino National Forest is not infested. Woodcutters coming to the Mendocino National Forest from infested areas in SOD quarantine counties can help prevent the spread of SOD by cleaning saws and other tools prior to use and not transporting any leaves, twigs, branches or mud into the forest.

Complete distribution details and more information on Sudden Oak Death may be found at www.suddenoakdeath.org.

(Page Modified 11/1/06 )

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