WILLOWS >> Christmas tree permits will be available for purchase at Mendocino National Forest offices, including the Upper Lake Ranger Station, starting Tuesday and continuing until Dec. 23.
Permits sell for $10 each with a limit of one permit per household. The number of permits is limited and will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Permits are good for this year only and trees can be cut and removed any day of the week through Dec. 24. All offices will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24, but will be open on Nov. 25.
As part of the Every Kid in a Park initiative, all fourth graders are eligible for a free Christmas tree permit upon presenting a valid fourth-grade pass. The pass allows free access to federal lands and waters across the country for a full year. To obtain a free Christmas tree permit, the fourth grader must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and present their fourth-grade pass or paper voucher. For more information about this initiative and how to obtain a fourth grade pass, please visit www.everykidinapark.gov.
Individuals may also purchase a permit by mail. Mail-in requests received after Dec. 14 will not be filled. The mail order form is posted on the forest website: http://tinyurl.com/h8x4hwd.
Christmas tree cutting in the national forest is managed as a recreational experience. For more information, including tree cutting tips, see the forest website http://tinyurl.com/h5o8h3h or call (530) 934-3316.
