The Bureau of Land Management, Carson City District, will begin selling Christmas tree cutting permits on Monday, Nov. 14. The permits allow cutting a pinyon pine or juniper tree on designated BLM lands primarily in the Pinenut Mountains between Carson City and Yerington, the Clan Alpine and Desatoya mountains east of Fallon, and the Excelsior Mountains southeast of Hawthorne. Maps and directions are available with permit purchase. The cost per permit/tree is five dollars.

No more than ten permits may be purchased by one individual; the permits are for individual use only. Collection of trees for resale requires a special permit.

The BLM permits for Christmas trees will be sold at the Community Action Center in Hawthorne, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tree cutters should be prepared with warm clothing, first aid kit, extra food and water, heavy rope or chain, shovel and tire chains, in the event of bad road conditions or inclement weather. Some cutting areas may be inaccessible after snowfall, so it is advisable to cut trees early in the season.

Free Permits for Fourth Grade Students

For the second year in a row, free Christmas tree permits are available to Nevada fourth graders as part of the U.S. Department of Interior’s “Every Kid in a Park” program. BLM Nevada State Director John Ruhs authorized the free Christmas tree program for fourth graders to continue in Nevada this year.

As part of the Every Kid in a Park initiative, every fourth grader is eligible to receive a pass that allows free access to federal lands and waters across the country for a full year. The BLM will make available a free Christmas tree permit to every interested fourth grader with a valid 4th Grade Pass or paper voucher, which can be obtained on the website at www.everykidinapark.gov.

For more information please contact Coreen Francis, Carson City BLM Forester, at 775-885-6161 or Coreen_Francis@blm.gov