LOGAN – It’s that time again when families trudge into the snow and cold to cut down their own Christmas Tree, making lifetime memories.
There are two options to finding the perfect tree for the living room: one is the Utah Bureau of Land Management which sells non-commercial Christmas tree-cutting permits; and, so is the Logan Ranger District. One must have a permit to remove a tree from public lands.
Christmas Tree Permits are available until December 25, 2024. The Logan Ranger District Christmas Tree Permits are available online only at www.recreation.gov. When there, search “Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest Christmas Tree Permit.” The cost is $22.50 this year. Additional information and area-cutting maps can also be found online. The cost of cutting a tree on Utah Bureau of Land Management land is $10.
For a map of the areas designated in the BLM location, contact the field office in Salt Lake City.
There is a limit of one permit per household. People need to buy permits in the area where they want to cut their tree.
In the Logan Ranger District, harvesting Christmas trees is not permitted in heritage locations such as the Tony Grove historical nursery area or Old Ephraim’s grave. Also, Christmas trees are not permitted to be harvested in research areas such as the T.W. Daniels Experimental Forest and the seasonal house area from First Dam to Woodcamp along Highway 89 in Logan Canyon.
Area maps can be printed when applications are made from the Logan Ranger District. Applicants must specify where they want to harvest their tree. There only four locations where Christmas trees can be harvested on the four ranger districts in Northern Utah.
The Logan Ranger District has closed the mid- and upper-elevation gates.
These gates include High Creek (second gate), Green Canyon (second gate), Cowley Canyon, Marie Springs, Temple Fork (both gates), West Hodges and Herd Hollow.
In Southern Idaho, Caribou/Targhee National Forest permits can also be purchased online through the Caribou/ Targhee National Forest Ranger District. Those Permits are also available to purchase online only at www.recreation.gov.
The National Forest Service would like to remind people that when cutting a Christmas tree this time of year the weather can unpredictable so always be prepared for the worst winter conditions. Stay on designated roads and trails.
Tree cutters should be prepared for inclement weather when hunting trees in the forest. Watch out for slick, snow-packed roads and have chains, a 4-wheel drive vehicle, or a snow machine available.
The different agencies want people to let a responsible person know where you are planning to go and the approximate time you will return.
Have a charged cell phone handy, bring additional warm clothing, gloves, boots, a container of hot liquid, water, and a meal or snack. For additional safety carry a flashlight, chains, shovel, first-aid kit, matches, a hatchet, ax or handsaw, and rope to secure the tree.
Trees must always be cut close to the ground, leaving the stump no higher than 6 inches above the ground. Tree topping is not allowed, and neither is cutting trees within 200 feet of riparian areas or lakes and streams. Trees should also not be cut near roads, campgrounds, picnic areas, administrative sites, summer home areas, or within designated closed areas shown on tree cutting maps.