U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Alaska Forest Products

In Alaska, some vegetative material found on public lands can be harvested for recreational, personal, subsistence, or commercial use.  Free Use Permits may be issued for materials that are for personal use and may not be bartered or sold. Timber is not available via Free Use. Subsistence Use Permits may be issued to rural residents for house logs, fuelwood, limited barter or sale is permitted. Learn more about "subsistence use" on our Subsistence Website. Recreational Use is allowed for the harvest of reasonable amounts of berries, nuts, greenery, wildflowers or firewood for consumption or campfires while on BLM managed public lands. 

The following forest products are available statewide:

• House Logs
• Saw Logs
• Firewood
• Biomass
• Berries
• Christmas trees
• Wood for walking sticks
• Boughs

Contact your nearest BLM Alaska office for more information and applicable forms.

Arizona Forest Products

BLM Arizona administers over one million acres of forestlands throughout the state. 

Nearly all of the BLM forests are located north of the Grand Canyon, within the Arizona Strip District, where these forests are managed for biomass and fuelwood, as well the traditional uses of Pinon nut and medicinal plant collecting; more than 22,000 acres of riparian habitat containing mesquite, sycamore, walnut, ash, cottonwood, willows, and tamarisk, and 11 million acres of southwestern desert vegetation, which includes mesquite, gambel oak, ironwood and bear grass. 

Some desert areas contain salvage-restricted species, such as barrel cactus, Joshua trees and saguaro.  These species cannot be taken off public land without a permit. 

Please contact your nearest BLM Arizona Office for more information on forest products and permits. 

California Forest Products

In California, forest products such as firewood, Christmas trees, greenery, mosses, transplants, poles, posts, seeds, and burls are available for commercial and non-commercial sale in designated areas. A permit is required. Contact the local BLM California office for more information.

Colorado Forest Products

Many forest products are available for sale on BLM Colorado-administered lands. While the most popular products are Christmas trees, boughs and firewood, several other products such as pinyon nuts, character wood and transplants are also available. Non-commercial sales of forest products are for personal use only, and the products cannot be resold.  Commercial sales are available on a case-by-case basis. Both types of sale require a permit to start collection. The best way to find more information about forest product collection is to contact your local BLM Colorado office.

2016 Christmas Tree Permits

• White River Field Office
  • Stipulations
  • Dragon Trail Map
  • Piceance Map
  • County Road 27 Map
• Royal Gorge Field Office
  • Stipulations

Idaho Forest Products

In Idaho, the BLM provides the public with commercial and personal use opportunities to harvest special forest products including:  

• Firewood
• Christmas trees
• Posts and poles
• House logs
• Boughs
• Berries
• Shrubs
• Grasses
• Wildflowers
• Moss
• Mushrooms
• Cones
• Plant seed

Idaho's immense geographic diversity and the price and availability of special forest products varies across the state.  Please contact your nearest BLM Idaho Office for more information on forest products and permits. 

Montana-Dakotas Forest Product Permits

Special forest products (SFP) permits are issued by the forestry program for BLM managed lands throughout Montana and South Dakota.  The SFP permits sold includes both personal use and commercial sales. The forest products harvested under a personal use permit cannot be resold but commercial permits can be resold and are available on a case by case basis.

The main special forest products sold through the BLMs forestry program are fuelwood, Christmas trees, boughs, biomass, craft or hobby wood, transplants, native seed, corral poles, fencing stays and posts.  The Montana and Dakota’s has issued an average of 865 special forest product permits annually over the past 8 years.

Recreational use includes collection of a forest product in reasonable amounts, in non-restricted areas, and for “non-commercial purposes”, such as dead firewood collection for camping or collecting small amounts of pine cones for Christmas decorations.

Special forest products harvested from BLM lands help to meet local and rural community economic needs. Check with your local BLM Montana-Dakotas office for more information on special forest product permitting. Forest product prices and availability may vary by office.

Nevada Forest Products

• Christmas Trees: There is nothing better than having a fresh-cut Christmas tree. It is a great family activity and harvesting Christmas trees is also usually good for the forest as each time one is cut you are helping the forest from becoming overcrowded which also reduces forest fire severity. Christmas tree cutting permits or contracts on public lands in Nevada are also offered to both the general public and commercial harvesters. The most common species allowed for harvest are pinyon pine and Utah juniper.
• Firewood: Wood cutting permits/contracts on public lands in Nevada are offered to both the general public and commercial harvesters. The public may harvest deadwood (standing or down) from most unrestricted public lands, while greenwood harvest is mostly limited to designated areas.
• Pinyon Pine Nuts: The collection of pinyon pine nuts hits the top of the list for many Nevadan’s traditions. Almost all public lands are open to the general public for pinyon pine nut collection.
• Posts: Both line and corner posts are offered for sale. Utah juniper makes an excellent post and depending on the soils it is set in, has a fairly long service life. Harvest areas vary from designated areas only to district-wide.
• Wildings (live transplants): Numerous native species (excluding threatened or endangered) are allowed to be collected throughout the state.
• Woody Biomass: The utilization of woody biomass is encouraged throughout the state. The minimum price for woody biomass varies with the type of biomass being taken. Other Seed: Other seed (Indian rice grass, needle and thread grass, four-wing, forage kochia, mountain mahogany, etc.) is sold throughout the state.
• Campfire wood: Those camping on public lands are allowed to collect campfire wood from the local surrounding area to be used at their camping location, with no cost or permit being required.

Contact your local BLM Nevada office for more information on permitting.

New Mexico Forest Products

Several BLM New Mexico office locations sell permits for removal of certain forest products including firewood, Christmas trees, transplants, posts, poles, seeds, nuts, and berries.  Prices and availability of forest products vary by office location. Please inquire with the local BLM New Mexico office for further information.  Per household annually, no permit or contract is required for a reasonable amount of personal, non-commercial uses of the renewable resources listed below. 

• Berries - up to 5 gallons per species
• Ornamental cones - 2 bushels
• Seed cones - 1 bushel
• Seed - 1 pound dirt weight
• Boughs/greenery - 5 pounds
• Moss - 5 pounds
• Pine nuts - 25 pounds

Want to harvest fuelwood? Use the Interactive Fuelwood Harvest Areas Map to identify locations near you.

Oregon-Washington Forest Products

What are Special Forest Products?

Special Forest Products (SFP) is a term used to describe some of the vegetative material found on public lands that can be harvested for recreation, personal use, or as a source of income. They include grasses, seeds, roots, bark, berries, mosses, greenery (fern fronds, salal, huckleberry, etc.), edible mushrooms, tree seedlings, transplants, poles, posts, and firewood. Trees or logs that contain sawtimber are not considered SFP.

Why have a Special Forest Products Program?

The Special Forest Products (SFP) provides the public with the opportunity to harvest SFP for recreation, personal use, or as a source of income. It also establishes policy and direction for these resources, enabling the BLM to more effectively manage and regulate the harvest of SFP, thus protecting the resources and reducing possible environmental impacts.

Are there any restrictions for harvesting Special Forest Products?

Yes, certain areas and/or individual species within Oregon and Washington are restricted. Please contact the local BLM Oregon-Washington office for the area you will be visiting for a list of what is available in that area.

Utah Forest Products

BLM Utah established policy directing minimum prices for:

• Timber
  • Sawtimber
  • Pulp Wood
• Special Forest Products
  • Biomass
  • Fuel Wood
  • Posts
  • Poles
  • Holiday Trees
  • Other Wood Products
• Other Forest & Woodland Vegetative Materials
  • Wildlings
  • Boughs
  • Native Seeds
  • Cones
  • Pinyon Nuts
• Special Stipulations for Forest Product Sales
• Info for Free Use   

Please inquire with individual field offices for further information regarding permits and contracting.

Recreational Use:

Recreational use includes collection of seeds in “reasonable amounts” in non-restricted areas, for “non-commercial purposes”, as well as, several other types of commonly available renewable resources such as flowers, berries, nuts, cones, leaves and firewood for camping. Inquire within individual field offices for information on reasonable amounts.

Personal and Commercial Use:

A permit is required for all vegetative material collections issued under this regulation.

• Fuelwood - 10 cords per year
• Burlwood - 10 cords per year
• Character wood - 10 cords per year
• Posts and Poles - 10 cords per year
• Fence stays - 2 per year
• Tepee poles - 2 per year
• Biomass - 2 per year
• Christmas trees - 2 per year
• Wildlings/transplants - 10 per year
• Shrubs and cactus - 20 per year
• Grasses and wildflower bunches - 20 per year
• Boughs - 75 lbs. per year 
• Pinyon nuts - 75 lbs. per year
• Seeds - 75 lbs. per year
• Nuts - 75 lbs. per year

Personal use amounts for products are listed below. Any amounts of product permitted above these quantities are considered commercial.

Free use:

Free use applicants must be a resident of the State, a Federal or State governmental agency, unit or subdivision (including municipalities), or any association or corporation not organized for profit. Free use materials may not be used for commercial or industrial purposes, or resale. A non-profit association or corporation may not receive more than $100.00 worth of forest products in any one calendar year.

Special stipulations and provisions may apply, please inquire with the local BLM Utah office for current pricing and appropriate collection areas for permits.

Wyoming Forest Products

The BLM Wyoming forestry program is responsible for the permitting and sale of all vegetative products on BLM lands. Although firewood and Christmas trees account for most of the permits, the BLM sells many other forest products to the public. This includes native seed, post and poles for corrals, transplants/wildings and many other products.

BLM Wyoming has a “Minimum Price List” for Special Forest Products (SFP).  These are the minimum prices established for the BLM SFPs. However, each office has different economic conditions, so the prices charged by the field offices may be vary. 

There is also a road maintenance fee that may be added to the price of the permit. These charges are collected to maintain and improve local access to forest product areas. They are used for road grading, culvert installation and other activities intended to keep forest roads accessible for the public.

Each BLM field office in Wyoming sells permits for vegetative products. Some of the offices also sell permits for adjacent areas. Check with your local BLM Wyoming office for more information.