Permits to cut a Christmas tree on national forest land are available for $5 from Forest Service offices and many local vendors.

BAKER CITY — Wallowa-Whitman National Forest in a press release announced Christmas tree permits are available for purchase online.

Visit www.recreation.gov and search for the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. The Wallowa-Whitman’s Christmas tree brochure also lists where permits are available. The brochure contains rules and several helpful tips to successfully cut, transport and care for your tree.

“For a growing number of people, heading into the national forest and tracking down the ideal Christmas tree has become a family holiday tradition,” said Forest Supervisor Tom Montoya in the release. “To preserve the scenic and natural resource values of your forest, we ask for your cooperation by complying with the regulations listed in our 2020 Christmas tree brochure.”

Permits are valid only on national forest lands and do not authorize tree cutting on private, state or other federally managed lands.

Free Christmas tree permits are available to fourth-grade students with a valid pass from the national “Every Kid Outdoors” program. Students can visit https://everykidoutdoors.gov/ and follow the instructions to obtain and print their pass. After that, they will need to call their local national forest office for further guidance to get a free Christmas tree permit.

Rules for cutting Christmas trees on the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest:

• Permit holders are required to follow the terms of their permit. For details, read the complete Christmas tree brochure available online and at national forest offices.

• Cut your tree at least 50 feet away from a road and clean up trimmings or limbs.

• Leave stumps no higher than 10 inches. It is illegal to “top” a tree.

• Cut all green limbs from the stump (they can be used for decorating).

• The maximum height of a tree to be cut is 15 feet tall, with no larger than a 6-inch stump diameter.

• Do not cut in active timber sale areas or areas planted with new trees. Do not cut on private land, in wilderness areas, designated campgrounds or existing tree plantations.

• Do not cut trees in the following areas: Baker City Watershed; Anthony Lakes Campground or Ski Area; Starkey Experimental Forest; La Grande Watershed; Hurricane Creek and Lostine drainages.

• Do not cut trees in posted Old Growth Areas or within 1⁄4 mile of Wild and Scenic River corridors.

• Christmas tree cutting is prohibited within sight distance of state highways.

Call your nearest national forest office for more information: Whitman Ranger District/Wallowa-Whitman National Forest Headquarters, Baker City, at 541-523-6391; La Grande Ranger District, La Grande, at 541-962-8500; or Wallowa Mountains Office, Joseph, at 541-426-5546.