Where Can I Cut Firewood?

Individuals may cut dead standing or down pinyon pines and junipers anywhere on public land within the Carson City District with a proper wood cutting permit.  Permittees must locate their own wood and are responsible for determining when they are on public land.  Maps are available to help you find your way.

There is also a green wood cutting area now being used on the northern side of the Pinenut Mountains. The site is called the Mill Flat Woodcutting Area. This 50-acre area is located approximately 12 miles southeast of Dayton, Nevada.  The Mill Flat Woodcutting Area consists of mostly green pinyon pine and juniper trees.  

This new cutting area at Mill Flat allows people to cut pinyon pines and junipers in a targeted area to improve wildlife habitat and reduce flammable fuels.  The Mill Flat area is important habitat for sage grouse, which need open country, but trees have increased there in recent decades and reduced the available sagebrush habitat. The project is part of a larger conservation effort by several agencies in western states where sage grouse populations have been in decline.

Click here for a pdf version of:

*Driving map to Mill Flat Woodcutting Area
*Red Canyon Woodcutting Area Topo Map

*Firewood cutting area topographic map
*Special firewood permit stipulations for this area

Detailed driving maps to the Mill Flat Woodcutting Area will be provided with each permit. Permit holders should allow 1½ hours to reach the area from Carson City, on graded, unpaved roads.

Wood cutting permits will be available Monday through Friday, starting immediately, at the BLM-Carson City District Office, 5665 Morgan Mill Road, Carson City, Nevada, at $10 per cord.  Permits may also be purchased with credit card by telephone (775) 885-6000 and mailed to those not coming to the BLM office.

Extreme caution must be used when driving off established roads and over dry vegetation, which could be ignited from catalytic converters on vehicles. Everyone in the wildland is encouraged to carry a shovel and other tools that could help stop an accidental fire from starting. Woodcutters are advised to saw early in the day before the afternoon fire danger period that comes with increased heat and wind.

Christmas Tree Cutting Permits

Every November-December, the BLM-Carson City District and the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest (Carson Ranger District) sell Christmas tree permits for a variety of locations across western Nevada and eastern California.

The agencies conduct Christmas tree sales to thin small trees in overstocked areas and to provide recreational experiences for local residents. Some cutting areas may not be accessible after snowfall so it is advisable to cut trees early in the season. The non-refundable permits from both agencies are valid through Christmas Day each year.

Please call the office at (775) 885-6000 for more informaton on Christmas tree cutting permits.

Finding & Collecting Pinyon Pine Nuts

How to measure firewood: A standard cord contains 128 cubic feet of well-stacked wood, commonly described as a pile four feet high, four feet wide, and eight feet long. Since truck beds and trailers vary widely in size, each permittee should figure the volume of his/her load. For example, a full-size, fleet-side, pick-up truck bed 8 feet long, 6 feet wide, and 19.5 inches high, would contain about 73 cubic feet or 57 percent of one cord; one full cord in that truck would be about 33 inches high, or 13.5 inches above the sides.