The Modoc National Forest is providing an opportunity to gather fuelwood to reduce the risk of wildfires and provide wood to the community. To purchase a permit, visit the Modoc National Forest Headquarters in Alturas, California, or the Big Valley Ranger District Office in Adin, California. Please have a valid photo identification when buying your permit. Permits are available for $2 per cord and have a minimum purchase of $20 with a limit of ten cords per permit. A cord is tightly stacked wood measuring four feet high, four feet wide, and eight feet long. The maximum length of the fuelwood that can be removed from the forest under the personal fuelwood permit is six feet (6’). The Modoc NF Headquarters accepts cash, checks, money orders, and credit/debit cards as forms of payment for personal use permits. Additionally, the Big Valley Ranger District office is only accepting cash or checks for fuelwood permits.
When gathering wood, you must have a current and valid fuelwood permit, Personal Use Terms & Conditions, an accompanying wood-cutting map, and an old-growth characteristics attachment. You must also bring your saw, shovel, and fire extinguisher. Vehicles larger than a pickup truck, and or any commercial machinery are prohibited for personal use in fuelwood cutting. Use of tractors, loaders, skidders, yarders, and other similar heavy equipment(machinery) is prohibited under a USFS fuelwood permit. Piling of debris is not required; however, all roads and ditch lines shall be kept clear of woodcutting debris.
According to the Personal Use Terms & Conditions, you are allowed to cut naturally dead and down trees of any species or size in open cutting areas. You may also fall standing dead white fir, incense-cedar, or lodgepole pine if they are less than thirty inches in diameter at stump height. However, please note that harvesting standing live or dead ponderosa pine, western white pine, Jeffrey pine, Washoe pine, sugar pine, and oak species is strictly prohibited.
According to the Personal Use Terms & Conditions, you can harvest standing live or dead junipers under thirty inches in diameter at stump height if they do not exhibit old juniper characteristics. However, those over thirty inches in diameter cannot be harvested. Additionally, it is prohibited to harvest live or dead limbs from old junipers, regardless of whether they are alive or dead. An attachment will be available with the permit to identify old-growth characteristics.
There are certain other restrictions on the collection of fuelwoods. Collecting fuelwood within three hundred feet of riparian areas like lakes, springs, streams, and areas marked as under timber sale, stewardship contract, or those with no fuelwood cutting signs is prohibited. In addition, collecting fuelwood is not allowed within one hundred feet of campgrounds, power lines, state highways, and administrative sites including, active research plots, wilderness, and natural resource areas. Additionally, it is not allowed in areas designated for wildlife habitat or areas marked with paint.
For detailed information and a complete list of regulations with permitted cutting zones, please refer to the following links:
You can also contact the Modoc National Forest office for more information at the following phone numbers:
(530) 233-5811 TDD: (530) 233-8708.
