Christmas Tree Cutting
Pick your perfect Christmas tree this season!
Lassen National Forest
You can get a permit for cutting your tree in Lassen National Forest (which includes Butte Meadows) by mail only. Limit two trees per household. Requests must be received no later than 12/10/22 to be filled.
The Lassen National Forest would like to advise folks of a few changes to the Christmas tree permit program that are continued from last year. The changes are as follows:
- Sales for Christmas tree permits will begin on November 1, 2022, by mail.
- The Shasta-Trinity National Forest will no longer be selling permits for Christmas trees to be cut on the LNF.
- Permits purchased from the Plumas National Forest are not valid on the Lassen National Forest
- Lassen National Forest Christmas Tree Permits can NOT be purchased online
If you would like to cut a Christmas tree on the Lassen NF, you can purchase the tree permit in-person, cash-only, at one of the following area vendors:
- Butte Meadows Mercantile, 7473 Humboldt Rd, Forest Ranch
- Collier Hardware, 105 Broadway St., Chico
- Ayoob's Intermountain Hardware, 201 Main Street, Chester
You can also send your request for a Christmas tree permit along with a check for $10.00 per tree to one of the following locations:
- Almanor Ranger District, 900 E. Hwy 36, P.O. Box 767, Chester CA 96020, (530) 258-2141
- Eagle Lake Ranger District, 477-050 Eagle Lake Road, Susanville, CA 96130, (530) 257-4188
- Hat Creek Ranger District, 43225 E. Hwy 299, P.O. Box 220, Fall River Mills, CA 96028, (530) 336-5521
- Supervisor’s Office, 2550 Riverside Drive, Susanville, CA 96130, (530) 257-2151
More information to come regarding permits available at local vendors
Plumas National Forest
Permits are required to cut your own tree; walk-in permits are available through Dec. 24 while mail-in requests must be received by Dec. 1 at the Plumas National Forest Supervisors Office.
- Trees may be cut from Nov. 1-Dec. 31
- Permits are $10 (plus a $2.50 service fee if purchased online) and include a map of tree cutting areas as well as safety information and helpful tip
- Two permits are allowed per household; please read the instructions on your permit carefully! There are no refunds.
Visitors should be alert when entering burned areas and watch out for hazard trees, down trees along roads, and falling rocks and debris. It is important to plan your trip ahead of time to ensure the area you plan to cut your tree has not been impacted by recent fires.
Because cutting areas may be quickly limited by snow, dress warmly and plan to get your tree early. Cell phone coverage may be scarce in remote areas so make sure you’ve planned ahead for contingencies like flat tires and being stuck on a cold, muddy roads. Let someone know where you are going and leave them a map, plus pertinent phone numbers and a description of your vehicle.
More program specifics, including mail-in instructions, may be found at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/plumas/passes-permits/forestproducts
