BLM makes getting Christmas tree permits easy online
MONTANA – Cutting your own Christmas tree can be fun for all ages, and six Bureau of Land Management field offices in Montana are making it simple and inexpensive to get a permit.
Personal-use Christmas tree permits issued by the Butte, Dillon, Lewistown, Malta, Miles City and Missoula field offices cost only $5 per tree and can be applied for online. Contact the North Dakota Field Office at 701-227-7700, and/or the South Dakota Field Office at 605-892-7000 for information about Christmas tree and/or firewood permits in those areas.
Locations where Christmas trees can be harvested vary by field office. Maps, stipulations and measuring guidelines are available on each office’s permit application webpage.
To purchase a Christmas tree permit online:
- Go to the BLM’s Online Forest Product Permits webpage for Montana.
- Choose the BLM field office that corresponds to the area where you plan to use your permit.
- Select Christmas Tree Permit.
- Complete and submit the application.
- Proceed automatically to Pay.Gov, a secure government website, to make your payment by credit card or checking account and agree to the terms and conditions. Your payment will be processed within minutes.
- Print your permit, stipulations, instructions, maps, and tags. Keep them handy when harvesting Christmas trees.
Permits are valid through Christmas Day (Dec. 25) in designated harvest areas on BLM-administered lands. Be sure to note harvest areas on the map for the office you selected and any special use areas where harvesting is prohibited. BLM-issued forest product permits are not valid on U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service lands. No resale or other commercial use of the Christmas trees is allowed.
To minimize the risk of starting wildfires, permittees must comply with current county fire restrictions. Woodcutters must have a shovel and fire extinguisher ready for immediate use, and chainsaws must be equipped with a functioning spark arrestor. Please, read and follow all instructions and stipulations while harvesting Christmas trees.
BLM foresters advise permittees to be prepared for winter conditions. Trees located closest to the roads are usually the first to go, so plan to do some walking through snow to get your tree. Make sure everyone in your party has warm clothes and boots. Pack emergency supplies, carry an appropriate map and leave word with friends or relatives of your planned destination. Take a vehicle equipped for winter conditions with 4-wheel drive, snow tires or chains, and start early since winter days mean early sunsets.
If you have questions, please contact the BLM field office that manages the area where you plan to harvest a Christmas tree.
-BLM-
The BLM manages about 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.