MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. – Personal use Christmas tree cutting permits valid for the Mendocino National Forest will be on sale from Wednesday, Nov. 1, through Friday, Dec. 22.

Permits will be available either in person or by mail from Mendocino National Forest offices listed below.

A limited number of permits are available for purchase at $10 each, on a first-come, first-served basis. All Christmas tree permit sales are final; no refunds will be made. Purchasers must be at least 18 years old. Only one permit may be sold to each household.

An individual may purchase up to five permits total if purchasing for other households. In this case, the purchaser must provide the name and address for each permit to be purchased.

To purchase a permit by mail provide your name, mailing address, daytime telephone number, and a check or money order for $10 made out to “USDA Forest Service”, and send to the Willows, Stonyford, Covelo or Upper Lake office. Write “Christmas Tree Permit” on the envelope. Mail in requests received after Dec. 14 cannot be filled.

Trees may be cut and removed on any day of the week through December 24th. Permits are not valid after that date. Christmas tree cutting is allowed only in specific areas within the Mendocino National Forest.

The permittee will receive a map of the Forest and a tree tag. Both map and tag must be in the permittee’s possession when cutting the Christmas tree.

Permits sold by any Mendocino National Forest office may be used to cut a tree in any authorized area within the Mendocino National Forest.

Permit holders who will have another person cut their tree must provide a third party authorization form, which must be in the possession of the cutter.

Continued this year: Federal and state quarantines designed to prevent the spread of sudden oak death are in effect for Lake and Mendocino counties. Any Christmas tree cut in Lake or Mendocino County may only be transported into a sudden oak death quarantine county (Alameda, Contra Costa, Humboldt, Marin, San Francisco, Monterey, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano and Sonoma).

Not all national forests offer the opportunity to obtain Christmas trees for personal use, and each national forest has different sales dates.

Please check with the individual forest to learn the specifics of their program. Information is available on their Web sites.

Please call the location from which you wish to purchase your permit to verify pricing, hours and availability.

Mendocino National Forest Supervisor’s Office
Grindstone Ranger District Office
825 North Humboldt Ave, Willows
Telephone: 530-934-3316
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Stonyford Work Center
5171 Stonyford-Elk Creek Road, Stonyford
Telephone: 530-963-3128
Hours: Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon, 1 to 4:30 p.m.

Covelo Ranger Station
78150 Covelo Road, Covelo
Telephone: 707-983-6118
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to noon, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Upper Lake Ranger Station
10025 Elk Mountain Road, Upper Lake
Telephone: 707-275-2361
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to noon, 1 to 4:30 p.m.

Paskenta Work Station
13290 Paskenta Road, Paskenta
Telephone: 530-833-5544
Hours: Saturday, Dec. 2, and Saturday, Dec. 9 only, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.