April 21, 2023 - Clovis, CA - The Sierra National Forest resumed selling Personal Use Wood Cutting Permits for the April 17th through November 30th period. The North Fork and Prather Forest Service offices began selling permits on Monday April 17th. All permits will be valid only for the Sierra National Forest lands and do not include private property. The forest will be offering a four-cord permit to the public for $20.00, with a maximum purchase limit of 12 cords per household.
Recognizing the challenges that many are facing, and in order to maximize the opportunity for the public to assist in reducing excess fuel loading on the Forest, prices for firewood will remain at the lowest cost that policy allows, $5.00 per cord.
A permit must be in the possession of individuals removing forest firewood, and load receipts must be attached to the load before leaving the wood-cutting site. We remind the public that removing any timber, tree, or other forest product, is prohibited by 36 CFR 261.6 (h) except as authorized by special use authorization, timber sale contract or permit, federal law, or regulation.
Although the Personal Use Fuelwood season began April 17th, due to this past winter’s storms, those Forest Service roads that sustained significant damage will remain closed until repairs can be completed. While a number of roads are typically scheduled to be opened May 1st, many may remain temporarily closed until repairs and conditions render them passable; pls stay connected to our Sierra NF webpage and Facebook sites (see links below). The public is reminded to contact the High Sierra Ranger District office in Prather, Calif. at 559-855-5355; the Bass Lake Ranger District in North Fork, Calif. at 559-877-2218; or the Forest Supervisors Office in Clovis, Calif. at 559-297-0706, or go online to www.fs.usda.gov/sierra to find out about wood cutting regulations, road closures and current road conditions, prior to traveling to the forest to cut firewood.
Once you have your permit, please be safe and aware of others in the area, and aware of your surroundings given the level of road damage and tree mortality. Thank you in advance for the role you will be playing, as part of the team to help restore the Sierra National Forest back to a resilient condition!
Follow the Sierra National Forest on our Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SierraNF or visit our website at www.fs.usda.gov/sierra
Source: Sierra National Forest
