Montana BLM Dropping Prices on Firewood & Tree Harvesting Permits

If you still haven't gotten your Christmas tree yet, the Montana Bureau of Land Management has your back.

What's the MT BLM up to?

They are offering significantly reduced prices for multiple permits from now until the end of January.  Some, like Christmas tree and firewood permits, will be $1 during this period.

The limit of firewood that can be harvested with a permit has also been increased up to a maximum of 10 cords while this is going on.

They're also opening up additional woodlands for cutting.

Why are they doing this?

The stated idea behind this is that encouraging the public to harvest their Christmas trees and firewood cheaply is beneficial to the health of the forest by thinning out areas that are overstocked, to use their term, reducing the risk and potential danger of a wildfire.

That said, they aren't going to let people go crazy and cut down anything, anywhere.

Lay it on me.  What are the rules?

Like I said earlier, the BLM is opening up additional areas for cutting, but there are still plenty of areas that are off-limits.

Areas like campgrounds or where timber is actively being sold, for example.  You're also not allowed to cut within 150 feet of any body of water.

There are also specific rules depending on what you are cutting.

If you have a firewood permit, you are only to cut dead wood.  Going after a live tree will invalidate your permit.

If you have a Christmas tree permit, ponderosa pines are to be left alone, as are trees with nests/dens and ones that are marked as protected.

Just remember, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is best used as an example of what not to do when it comes to DIY tree harvesting.

via GIPHY