Forest Products Industry (non Timber)
Fuelwood Permits
Firewood season opens annually for the Payette National Forest on May 15 and closes on November 30.
There is a 4-cord minimum purchase for the personal use firewood permits. The minimum permit is $25.00 ($6.25 per cord). You can buy up to 10 cords per family per year.
Fuelwood permits can be purchased at these commercial locations:
- Weiser: Ridley's Food and Drug 208-549-1332
- Cambridge: Blake’s Sinclair 208-257-5000
- Council: Farmer’s Supply Co-op 208-253-4266
- McCall: Albertsons 208-634-8166
- New Meadows: C&M Lumber 208-347-2194
With your firewood permit purchase, you will need to carry the permit, load tickets (in 1/4 cord increments), and a Payette firewood brochure.
Forest Service law enforcement officials also recommend you have the Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) of the area in your possession.
The prohibition of cutting Larch (Tamarack) starting November 1 remains in place this year. Larch lose their needles every fall and appear to be dead, resulting in too many live trees being accidently cut. This regulation is to prevent the cutting of live Larch trees after they have lost their needles in the fall.
Cutting or removing any whitebark pine (live or dead) is prohibited. Learn more about whitebark pine here.
Permit holders are encouraged to cut fuelwood early in the year because fire restrictions may impact the cutting season later in the summer. Early season fuelwood cutters are asked to use caution to avoid wet muddy roads where travel may cause resource damage. Fuelwood cutting is not allowed within riparian areas (adjacent to creeks and rivers).
Cutting fuelwood within a closure area is prohibited. Check the Alerts page for closure information.
When you buy a fuelwood permit you are responsible for fully understanding and agree to all conditions of the permit. Violations of the conditions of the permit are punishable by a fine of not more than $5,000.00 or imprisonment for not more than six months or both (16 USC 551).
- Payette National Forest Fuelwood Map
- Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) West
- Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) East
Christmas Tree Permits
Christmas Tree Permits are available online at Recreation.gov!
The holiday season is often time for families and friends to head to the woods to play in the snow and to cut the traditional family Christmas Tree. Lifelong memories are built during these special times and the Payette National Forest is happy to help with any information gathering you'll need to make this trip a safe and enjoyable one.
If an unusually heavy snowfall occurs and Forest roads become a safety concern for the public, some areas may be closed early to Christmas tree gathering. Forest roads are not plowed. Call ahead and check websites for road conditions before heading out. Please do not block private or county roadways at any time.
Free Christmas Tree Permits to 4th Graders!
In coordination with the “Every Kid Outdoors” program, fourth-graders who are participating in the Every Kid Outdoors program can receive a free Christmas tree permit. First, go to this site and complete the application process for a pass, print the pass and call a Forest Service office for curbside service. If using the online system at recreation.gov, enter the pass number when prompted. Free Christmas tree permit for the Every Kid Outdoors program are not available at local vendors, and cannot be sent through the mail.