New personal use firewood permits available April 1

Current National Forest personal use firewood permits expire on March 31. Persons interested in gathering firewood for their personal use will need a new permit beginning April 1, 2017. When you visit a Forest Service office to purchase your firewood permit, please bring a picture identification for pertinent information to fill out the permit.

A minimum four-cord personal use firewood permit is $20. Individuals are entitled to purchase a total of 12 cords of firewood during the permit year under the personal use program. A standard cord of firewood measures 4’ x 4’ x 8’. The firewood permit year runs April 1, 2017 through March 31, 2018.

The personal use wood permit allows individuals to remove downed timber or to cut standing dead under most conditions on National Forest and Grassland and Bureau of Land Management lands within Montana and Northern Idaho and portions of North and South Dakota. It is important to contact the local Ranger District offices to see if there are any special, local restrictions or requirements. Firewood obtained under these permits is not intended for commercial use.

Woodcutters must have their permit with them while harvesting firewood, they must have an approved and maintained spark arrester on chainsaws and splitters, and during the proclaimed fire season they must have a shovel and fire extinguisher (8 oz. liquid or 1 lb. dry chemical type) handy in the event of a wildfire.

Funds collected from the sale of firewood permits are used to help defray the costs of the Forest’s firewood program.

For more information regarding purchasing a permit or obtaining road access maps, contact the Kootenai National Forest Supervisor’s Office in Libby at 406-293-6211 or any of the local Ranger District Offices.