Stanislaus National Forest now lets public cut Christmas trees. How tall can they be?
The Stanislaus National Forest has joined others around the country in allowing the public to cut Christmas trees.
The offer began Friday morning, Nov. 25, for people who obtain permits online, at www.recreation.gov/tree-permits/TP2648. Each has a $2.50 fee and entitles the holder to two trees no taller than 20 feet. Up to 5,000 permits will be issued this year.
Cutting already was allowed in most of the national forests in the Sierra Nevada and northwest California. Past proposals for the Stanislaus forest ran into opposition from private Christmas tree farms and people concerned about damage to the land.
Tuesday’s announcement noted that this type of cutting actually can enhance forest health. Small trees have become too dense due to past logging practices and suppression of frequent fires that kept the understory clear.
The Stanislaus is the closest national forest to Modesto, about a 90-minute drive up Highway 108 past Twain Harte. Visitors also can take Highway 120 past Groveland or Highway 4 past Arnold.
“There’s a certain magic in families coming together to wander into the forest to find that special tree,” Forest Supervisor Jason Kuiken said in a news release. “We are pleased to make this available to our community and hope this will be the beginning of new traditions for so many families.”
The California Christmas Tree Association, which supports private farms, did not have a position on the Stanislaus proposal, Vice President Ted Seifert said by email. He owns one in Dixon, Yolo County.
The group’s online directory of cut-your-own spots includes Hay Family Farms, just east of Modesto, and others in Merced, Tuolumne and Calaveras counties.
Advice for the woods
People should follow these guidelines for Christmas trees from the Stanislaus National Forest:
- Cut only pines, firs or cedars, not oaks or other hardwoods.
- Use a hand saw, not a chain saw.
- Do not cut trunks more than 6 inches in diameter at the base.
- Choose a tree that’s close to others, rather than isolated. This will help the remaining trees thrive.
- Do not wield your saw on private timberland amid the national forest, nor in Yosemite National Park or Calaveras Big Trees State Park.
Avoid campgrounds and wilderness areas within the Stanislaus and its Experimental Forest near Pinecrest.
- Take care not to get your vehicle stuck in mud or snow. Many forest roads remain open despite the autumn storms, but that could change as Christmas approaches.
‘Treasured family memories’
This is the third year the U.S. Forest Service has done Christmas tree permits online, a news release from the national headquarters said.
“Many families are discovering their local forest for the first time to bring home their special holiday tree,” Chief Randy Moore said. “These experiences help connect people to their local national forest and become treasured family memories.”
The Stanislaus has long allowed the public to collect firewood with a permit, which involves dead trees on the ground. The current season will end Dec. 15.
This story was originally published November 23, 2022 at 12:29 PM.
