National Forest Christmas Tree Cutting Permits Near Sacramento, Ca

Do you dream of marching off into the snowy woods, a saw in hand and cutting down that perfect Christmas tree? If you live in the Sacramento area and are willingly to travel a bit, you can do just that. A day of Christmas spirit and adventure await you in one of the nearby National Forests. You can choose to do a day trip to Lake Tahoe Basin or Mendocino National Forest but plan to leave early on your perfect Christmas tree quest. Please note the very nearby El Dorado National Forest does not allow Christmas tree cutting at all and the penalties for doing so are quite stiff.

LAKE TAHOE BASIN
For Sacramento residents, the South Shore of the Lake Tahoe Basin will be closest at a little under a 2-hour drive. Starting in mid-late November, permits will be on sale at the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit Office located at 5 College Drive, South Lake Tahoe, CA. Permits will also be on sale from the Forest Service Office at 3080 N. Lake Blvd., Tahoe City on the North Shore. The cost is $10 per permit and each family is limited to a maximum of 2 permits. The permit allows Christmas Tree Cutting in the designated areas from date of purchase through December 24^th. There are specific guidelines regarding the size, tree type and method of cutting. Questions should be directed to the Forest Supervisor's Office at (530) 543-2694 with any questions. They are open Monday through Friday from 8am to 4:30pm. You may also visit the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit website.

MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST
From Sacramento, it's approximately a 3 hour drive to Mendocino National Forest. Permits will be on sale in mid-November and are limited to one permit per household. The cost is $10. In addition to being sold at the Forest headquarters and district offices, the Willows, Upper Lake and Covelo offices will accept mail orders. The Christmas tree cutting permits must be paid by money order or check and received prior to the annual deadline (check with the Forest Supervisor's office for this year's date). As with Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, there are designated areas and regulations about cutting Christmas trees. The Forest Supervisor's Office can be reached at (530) 934-3316 Monday through Friday between 8am to 4:30pm. The office is located at 825 North Humbolt Avenue in Willows, CA. You can also visit the Mendocino National Forest website for more information and for the locations and hours of other offices.

Whether you choose to spend the day or make a weekend trip of it, trekking into the woods to cut down your own Christmas tree can be an exciting and memorable holiday adventure.

Sources:
Forest Service Office at 855 Alder Ave. Incline Village, NV on the North Shore (775) 831-0914 Source Sited: USDA Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c4/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gjAwhwtDDw9_AI8zPwhQoY6BdkOyoCAPkATlA!/?ss=110519&navtype=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&cid=FSE_003853&navid=091000000000000&pnavid=null&position=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&ttype=main&pname=Lake%2520Tahoe%2520Basin%2520Mgt%2520Unit-%2520Home/

US Forest Service: Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit-Holiday Tree Permits. < http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/ltbmu/passes-permits/holiday-tree.shtml> Accessed on November 1, 2009.
US Forest Service: Mendocino National Forest-Christmas Tree Permits. < http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/mendocino/passespermits/christmas/> Accessed on November 1, 2009.