Passes & Permits - Obtaining a Woodcutting Permit
OBTAINING A WOODCUTTING PERMIT
Each year, from April 1 to November
30, the Sierra National Forest makes
available personal fuel wood gathering
permits for the public. Individuals may
purchase a permit which allows them to
cut and gather up to ten cords of "dead
and down" wood for personal use.
WHERE TO GET A WOODCUTTING PERMIT
Before you collect any firewood you
are required to obtain a firewood cutting
permit. Permits are available at Forest
Service offices and at some seasonal
offices during the summer. The permit
authorizes the signer of the permit to
gather a specified amount of dead and
downed wood, for his or her personal
use, from any portion of the Sierra National
Forest open to woodcutting.
The fee for a woodcutting permit is
$10.00 per cord. Each woodcutter is required
to purchase a minimum of two cords. The
maximum amount of cords a person can
purchase is 10.
When the permit is issued it is accompanied
by a map that shows the approximate boundaries
of fire danger rating areas, and special
areas such as wilderness, major recreation
areas, and special management zones,
that are permanently closed to woodcutting.
Other small areas, such as active timber
sales, may be closed temporarily due
to contractual agreements and responsibilities
of the logging contractor. In such cases
signs will be posted around the closed
area.
When you receive your permit you may
be provided with special maps and instructions
relating to cutting within that area.
Due to changing conditions such as road
closures, weather, timber sale activity,
and changing supplies of wood it will
generally be necessary for you to secure
current maps and instructions by visiting
the office administering the area where
you plan to cut. Remember that not all
land within the boundary of the National
Forest is public-owned. It is your responsibility
to be certain you are not trespassing
on private land.
WHERE TO CUT FIREWOOD
If you look hard enough you can find
good firewood almost anywhere in the
Sierra National Forest. In lower elevations
that are accessible
most of the year and immediately adjacent
to major roads, the supply is more limited,
simply because a lot of people have been
there
already. If you want to burn only oak
or lodgepole pine, it will be harder
to find. The more particular you are
about the type of
firewood and the distance you will travel
to get it, the harder it will be to find.
For information on woodcutting locations
contact the Forest
Service offices in North Fork or Prather,
as they have the most updated information.
The Forest Service cannot authorize
you to cut or gather wood on private
land. The Sierra National Forest visitor's
information maps shows the approximate
locations of private landholdings and
roads that are open to the public, as
well as other details in navigation while
in the forest. Maps can be purchased
at Forest Service offices and visitor
stations.
CUTTING STANDING TREES IS PROHIBITED
Standing dead trees (snags) play a
role in supporting wildlife populations
in the forest. They are a source of food,
nests, perches
and protective cover for many birds and
mammals. Removal of snags for firewood
purpose, must be carefully managed. Public
understanding
and support of our snag removal policy
is very important. The falling of any
standing tree for fuel wood is prohibited
under this permit.
There usually is ample downed material
available for firewood within the timbered
portion of the forest. The purpose of
the firewood program is to provide you
with material you can use now and remove
dead wood from the forest. Sometimes
a limited number of special permits are
sold which authorize cutting of standing
trees.
MEASURING AND REMOVING FIREWOOD
Firewood is commonly measured in cords.
A standard cord is the amount of tightly
piled wood in a stack 4 feet wide by
4 feet high
by 8 feet long.
The average half-ton pickup truck can
carry a half cord of dry wood without
overloading the vehicle. You may purchase
up to ten cords of firewood for your
personal use each year. If you live in
an older home in the mountains, you may
need all 10 cords. Valley residents in
newer homes should find one or two cords
adequate for their needs.
As a control on the number of cords
of wood removed from the forest, you
are required to attach, in a visible
location on the back of the load, your
LOAD RECEIPT(s) issued with your permit.
One load receipt is to be attached for
each one-quarter cord of wood in the
load. Before attaching Load Receipt(s)
to your wood, punch or ink out the month
and day of removal. Load Receipt(s) must
be attached to the load before leaving
the wood-cutting site and moving 500
feet! Under the firewood cutting permit
regulations, you may not transport material
in lengths greater than 6 feet. A specific
authorization is needed.
128 cubic feet of stacked, round wood
equals one (1) cord. The amount of wood
that may be carried varies by the size
of your vehicle and the weight of the
wood being hauled. Permit holders are
responsible for reasonably determining
the quantity of wood being removed. As
a general guide, you can load 1/4 to
1/2 of a cord in most small imported
or domestic mid-size pickup trucks. Full-size
pickups with short beds normally hold
1/2 cord to 3/4 cord, and with side boards
can hold 3/4 to 1 full cord.
RESTRICTIONS ON CHAIN SAWS
When forest vegetation gets so dry
that a small spark can develop into major
wildfire, chain saw use may be restricted
until the critical
period passes.
When use of chain saws are prohibited,
you may still use hand saws or collect
smaller material from the ground, except
where entry is restricted because of
high fire danger.
When fire danger reaches very high,
chain saw use will be prohibited in the
area. Each Ranger District may designate
specific local areas exempt from chainsaw
prohibitions. These areas would be identified
and signed as open to woodcutting. To
determine if chain saws may be used in
a specific area on a given day, call
the 24 hour fire weather information
line at 559-346-1525. This report is
updated daily around 5:00 p.m. during
fire season
AREAS SPECIFICALLY CLOSED TO WOODCUTTING
- Private land within the Forest boundary.
- Forest administration stations.
- Research or Experimental Areas.
- Giant Sequoia groves.
- Further planning areas.
- Wilderness areas.
- Bass Lake Basin from Memorial Day
Weekend to Labor Day Weekend.
- Kings River Special Management Area.
- Developed campgrounds.
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