Malheur National Forest

Personal Use Firewood

A permit and load tickets are required

Permit cost: $5.00 per cord with a 4 cord or $20 minimum purchase. A maximum of 10 cords total per household is allowed during the calendar year.

Information needed to purchase permit: name, physical address, driver's license number, vehicle information (year, make, model, color, and license plate number of vehicle being used to haul firewood), in addition to number of cords to be purchased.

Where to get permits: Firewood cutting permits are available at the Malheur National Forest Headquarters office and Ranger District offices.

Where to go: Not all lands on the National Forest are open to firewood cutting. Please consult the firewood map to be sure you are in an area where cutting is permitted. Remember that not all land within the Forest is publicly owned. It is your responsibility to be certain you are not trespassing on private land. The permit is for the Malheur National Forest lands only, and not for State, or private lands.

Areas excluded from firewood cutting. Please see firewood cutting area map for additional restricted sites.

• Posted Areas (Old Growth Areas, etc.)

• Wilderness Areas
• Developed Campgrounds, Picnic Areas, Administrative Sites, & timber sale units
• Within 150 feet of Visual Corridors: State Highway 26, County Road 62, and Forest Roads 13, 16, and 1370 on the Prairie City Ranger District.
• Road right-of-way of any Grant County Road
• Within 150 feet of all State, U.S. and County Highways, or Forest developed roads 15 (the paved portion up to Parish Cabin), 1520, 16, 1640, and 36 on the Blue Mountain Ranger District.
• Do not cut trees with signs, tags, or paint.

Stump diameter, height, and species limitations:

Down trees without green needles may be cut unless marked with paint (orange, yellow, blue, red, green, or white) or “Wildlife Tree” signs, and that are located in areas where cutting is allowed.

Standing dead trees, may be cut within 150 feet of an open road, regardless of size or species, except Western Larch may not be cut from November 1 thru April 30, provided the road is outside:

a. Streamside/riparian buffers as shown on the Personal Use Firewood Map. (See item B-2).

b. Visual Corridors (See item B-5).

c. Administrative sites and other areas of special protection. (See items B-3 and B-4 and areas designated on the Personal Use Firewood Map).

Standing dead trees, 20 inches or smaller at stump height, may be fell outside the 150 foot road zone unless restricted for resource protection as shown on the Personal Use Firewood Map. Felling of ponderosa pine outside the 150-foot open roadside zone is prohibited on the Prairie City Ranger District.

How to tell if the tree is dead: Trees without any green needles may still be alive. Western Larch (tamarack) loses its needles in the fall and is still a live tree. A wind blown tree may take several months or years to die. Do not cut the tree if it has any green needles and/or the inner bark, called the cambium, is green, wet, spongy, light in color. To test a questionable dead tree before it is cut, peel away a small section of the bark and examine the thin cambium layer between the bark and the wood. A dead tree has no green needles and the cambium is dry and dark color.

Hauling restrictions: Lengths up to 8 feet in any diameter may be removed. Less than 6 inches in diameter on large end, may be removed at any length.

To validate the load ticket: After loading the firewood, completely remove the month and day on the colored load ticket, corresponding with the date the firewood is being removed. On the back of the load, firmly staple, nail, or tack one ticket for each 1/2 cord being transported. All load tickets must be clearly visible.

What is a cord of firewood? One cord of firewood measures 4ft. X 4ft. X 8ft. which equals 128 cubic feet and weighs approximately 2,662 lbs. The average half-ton pickup can carry a 1/2 cord of dry wood without overloading the vehicle. Remember to validate the firewood load tickets before leaving the cutting area.

Fire requirements & restrictions: Firewood cutters are required to have the following equipment while cutting and transporting firewood:

Saw: Exhaust system in good repair. Screen-type spark arrestor of 0.023" mesh or less, qualified under US Forest Service standards.

Shovel: Long-handled, round point with 8 inch blade.

Fire extinguisher: Charged with pressurized chemical. Not less than 8 oz. capacity by weight. Type AB.

Fire watch: A one-hour fire watch is required after shutting down the chainsaw.

During periods of high fire danger, restrictions that prohibit fuelwood cutting may be enacted. Contact the nearest Forest office for current fire restrictions:

Use of permit by another party: In very limited circumstances (when a person is not physically able to collect the firewood him or herself), a third party permission attachment to the personal use firewood permit may be approved. It is necessary to have approval and the signed form before collecting firewood. Contact your nearest Ranger District office for details.