Free Christmas tree permits available for fourth graders

RBC | Christmas tree permits are now available for purchase at White River National Forest office locations. The cost per permit is $10 and may be purchased with cash, check or credit card at office locations. There is a maximum of five tree permits per person. Permits will be sold through Friday, Dec. 22 at the Blanco Ranger Station: 220 East Market St., in Meeker from Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Free Christmas tree permits for fourth graders:
The White River National Forest is excited to continue the Fourth Grade Free Christmas tree Program again this holiday season. Fourth graders are eligible for a free Christmas tree permit through the Every Kid in a Park (“Every Kid”) Initiative. In support of this initiative, the Forest Service will make available a free Christmas tree permit to every interested fourth-grader who presents a Fourth Grade Pass or paper voucher at a district office or the supervisor’s office.
n Instructions on how to obtain a pass and collect a free tree permit: In order for students to receive a free tree permit, they must present a valid pass or paper voucher printed from the Every Kid in a Park website: everykidinapark.gov/. Visit the website, click on the “Get Your Pass” button and follow the instructions on the website to obtain the voucher. Print out the paper voucher and bring it with you to a district office or the supervisor’s office. Mail-order form is not an option for this program. The fourth grader and family member must present the voucher in-person at a Forest Service office location (not applicable to vendor locations). Only one free-tree permit is allowed per fourth grader.
n Mail-order Christmas tree permits: Mail-order permits will be available again this year by check or money order. Individuals can download and print an online form, fill out the form and mail it with payment to the Supervisor’s Office in Glenwood Springs. Christmas tree permits will be mailed within 2-3 business days. The mail-order Christmas tree permit form is located here: www.fs.usda.gov/whiteriver under the link “Passes and Permits or by clicking the Christmas tree permit spotlight on the homepage.
n How to cut a Christmas tree: Christmas tree cutting is allowed in most areas on the White River National Forest with the following exceptions: Wilderness areas, Scenic Byways, Glenwood Canyon, the Maroon Bells Scenic Area, commercial timber sales areas, recreation and ski areas, campgrounds, trailheads, developed sites and administrative areas. Trees may not be cut within 100 feet of any road or trail. Maps showing where Christmas tree cutting is allowed are available at all offices where permits are sold, and will be provided with permits along with a regulations list.
Trees must be less than 15 feet tall from the stump, may not be greater than 6 inches in diameter at the base of the tree, and the stump height should be no greater than 6 inches high. Trees are for personal use only and cannot be resold. The tags must be attached to the tree at the cutting location and must be left on the tree until it arrives at its final destination.
Reminder: The Forest Travel Management Plan closes many forest roads prior to or on Nov. 23. As a reminder, winter Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUMs) have been produced for the entire Forest and show forest roads, trails and areas that have been designated for closures and over-snow motor vehicle use. Motorized users are responsible for obtaining an MVUM to determine where one can drive, ride and recreate. These maps are free and are available at Ranger Stations or on the Forest website: www.fs.usda.gov/recmain/whiteriver/recreation.