JACKSON, Wyo. — December holidays are speeding in and they’ll arrive before long.
Those who celebrate with a Christmas tree can purchase a permit from one of two agencies and go on an adventure to cut down the perfect centerpiece from certain public lands. Both the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) offer permits for sale that allow a Christmas tree to be cut down in designated areas.
In the Jackson Hole region, a USFS tree permit will offer the widest opportunity for choosing a tree. Permits cost $15 through Bridger-Teton National Forest (BTNF) and can be purchased online. Most BTNF land is open to tree harvesting, but permit-holders should look closely at the map to determine where exactly is off limits.
Sites that do not allow Christmas tree cutting include Trail Creek, Cache Creek, Snake River Canyon, all elk feed grounds and designated Wilderness or Wilderness Study Areas. See the regulations and full map of the Jackson and Blackrock Ranger Districts here. On BTNF land, conifers are replacing aspens, so permit-holders are encouraged to cut their tree within aspen stands, and there is no height limit for trees removed from these areas.
Outside of Jackson Hole, the BLM offers Christmas tree permits through its Pinedale Field Office. These permits cost $10 and can be purchased online. View the map of BLM land in the Pinedale district that is open for Christmas tree cutting. Rules and regulations for BLM tree harvesting can be found online here.
All permit-holders, regardless of which agency the permit is from, should follow regulations by avoiding private land, only cutting a tree in designated areas, leaving behind stumps shorter than 8 inches and respecting the maximum tree height allowed with their permit (20 feet tall on BTNF, and 15 feet tall on BLM). Anyone venturing out to forested areas should plan accordingly and be prepared for changes in temperature and weather.
