Forest Service Press Release
Salt Lake City, Utah, November 8, 2018 – Cutting a Christmas tree in a national forest is a family tradition for many residents of Utah. Weather conditions in the mountains are unpredictable, so always be prepared for winter weather. Stay on designated roads and trails. Be prepared for slick, snow-packed roads and have chains, a 4-wheel drive vehicle, or a snow machine available. Let someone know where you are planning to go and approximate time you will return. Carry a cell phone; bring additional warm clothing, and gloves, boots, and a container of hot liquid, water, and a lunch or snack. Carry a flashlight, chains, shovel, first-aid kit, matches, a hatchet, ax or handsaw, and rope to secure your tree.
Trees must always be cut close to the ground leaving the stump no higher than 6 inches. A shovel will come in handy to dig through the snow to reach the base of the tree. Make sure your permit is attached to the tree before leaving the cutting area. TREE TOPPING IS NOT ALLOWED. No cutting is allowed within 200 feet of riparian areas (lakes and streams), roads, campgrounds, picnic areas, administrative sites, summer home areas, or within designated closed
areas shown on tree cutting maps.
ASHLEY NATIONAL FOREST: (435) 789-1181 – https://fs.usda.gov/ashley Holiday tree permits will go on sale November 15th at Forest Service offices and local vendors. Tree permits are $15.00, limit one tree per household. Flaming Gorge-Vernal Ranger District: (435) 784-3445 – Permits will go on sale, Thursday November 15th. Permits will be available at the Flaming Gorge Ranger District office, intersection of Highway 43 & 44, Manila, Utah from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Permits will also be available at Flaming Gorge Resort, Highway 191, Dutch John, Utah, Sunday-Thursday 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Permits
will also be sold at Flaming Gorge Market at 75 East Highway 43 in Manila, Utah from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00p.m. In Vernal permits may be purchased 7 days a week at Davis Jubilee Store, at the Customer Service Desk, 575 West Main, Vernal, (435) 789-2001, Monday through Saturday 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Sundays 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Liberty Corner in Lapoint will sell permits as well. The Supervisor’s Office in Vernal at 355 North Vernal Avenue, (435) 789-1181 will sell permits during office hours Mondays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Tuesdays through Fridays 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Again this year The Fishlake National Forest will issue a free Christmas tree permit for fourth graders with an Every Kid in a Park pass while supplies last. The Fishlake offers the free tree permit as part of the U.S. Forest Service’s Every Kid in a Park program. The program is part of an interagency call to action to build the next generation of conservationists. All fourth graders are eligible to receive a fourth grade Every Kid pass that allows free access to 2,000-plus federal land and water sites across the country for one full year. Instructions on how fourth graders can
obtain an Every Kid pass or voucher is available at www.everykidinapark.gov. Richfield Ranger District – 115 East 900 North, Richfield, Utah – Beginning Thursday November 1, permits may be purchased during regular office hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call 435-896-9233.
Fremont River Ranger District – 138 South Main, Loa, Utah – Permits may be purchased during regular office hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Fish Lake Basin Recreation Area, including Johnson Valley, is closed to tree cutting from the forest boundary on the West to Zedds Meadow on the East. Cutting Ponderosa pine is prohibited except on the Boulder Mountain of the Fremont River Ranger District. For more information, call 435-836- 2811.
Fillmore Ranger District – 390 South Main, Fillmore, Utah – Permits will be sold November 1 through December 21 at the office in Fillmore, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Fillmore office will be open four Saturdays: November 17, November 24, December 1, and December 8 from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Purchase limit is one permit per household (additional tags may be purchased for neighbors, family members, etc.). Suggested cutting areas are as follows: Whiskey Creek, John Williams Canyon, Chalk Creek, Meadow Canyon, Cove Fort, Willow Creek, and Wild Goose Canyon. Oak Creek Canyon is closed to live tree cutting. For more information, call 435-743-5721.
Beaver Ranger District – 575 South Main, Beaver, Utah – Permits may be purchased during regular office hours, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Blue Spruce trees may not be cut. Tree cutting is not allowed in the Merchant Valley Summer Home area or along the visible edge of SR-153. For more information, call 435-438-2436. As a convenience to the public, permits will be available again this year at:
Beaver Sports and Pawn, 91 North Main, Beaver, Utah, Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Fishlake Lumber1627 N Hwy 357, Beaver, Utah, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Piute County Sheriff Office, 550 N. Main, Junction, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday
Don’s Sinclair, 215 W Main, Salina, Monday-Saturday
Larsen’s Ace hardware, 1155 S US Hwy 118, Richfield, Monday-Saturday
Jorgensen’s, 980 S Cove View Road, Richfield, Monday-Saturday
UINTA-WASATCH-CACHE NATIONAL FORESTS: (801) 999-2103 https://fs.usda.gov/uwcnf Evanston/Mt. View Ranger Districts: (307) 789-3194 and (307) 782-6555 – Permits for the Evanston area will be available starting Friday, November 16, 2018. Permits are $10.00, one permit per household. Permits can be purchased at the Evanston Ranger District office, 1565 Highway 150, Suite A, Evanston, Wyoming, Monday – Friday, 800 a.m. to 430 p.m. Permits may also be purchased at the Bear River Lodge, located 30 miles south of Evanston on the Mirror Lake Highway (435) 642-6289 or at the Last Chance Sinclair fuel station located at 49 Aspen Grove Drive E., in Evanston, WY (307) 789-6872. Please call the vendor for their operating hours. Permits allow up to a 20 foot tree, any species of tree may be cut, but Lodgepole pine is the main species in the area. Snow conditions may require permit holders to use 4WD, snowmobiles, x-country skis, or snowshoes to access the cutting area. The gates on the Mirror Lake Highway and the North Slope road are typically closed during the first week of December, limiting access for people without a snow machine. Christmas tree cutting is not allowed in the Lily Lake Cross Country Ski area.
Permits may be purchased starting Friday, November 16, 2018 at the Mountain View Ranger District Office (307) 782-6555, located at 321 Highway 414, Mountain View, Wyoming, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday only. Permits may also be purchased at Benedict Thriftway Store, 950 North, Highway 414, Mountain View, Wyoming starting Monday, November 16, 2018. Benedicts is open 7 days a week, Monday through Saturday 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Sundays 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 pm, (307) 782-3581. They will close at 1:00 pm on Thanksgiving Day. Permits are $10.00 per tree, one permit per household. A permit allows up to a 20 foot tree to be cut. Any species may be cut but lodgepole pine is the main species available. Access to the Mountain View Ranger District may require 4-Wheel drive or the use of snow machines, skis or snowshoes during this time of year. Please follow the district travel plan when cutting a Christmas tree.