Christmas tree permits available

PENDLETON–Christmas tree permits for the Umatilla National Forest are now available to purchase at Forest offices, several local businesses, and online through Recreation.gov. Locally, permits are available at Circle K/General Store in Dayton, Pomeroy Food Center in Pomeroy, and at the Tollgate Crossing Store, Tollgate, Ore.

All National Forests offer Christmas tree permits online as an added convenience for the public and alternative to in-person interactions. Christmas tree permits purchased online must be printed to be valid and can only be used on Umatilla National Forest lands, as specified on the permit. Christmas tree permits cost $5 each and are limited to one per household. An additional $2.50 fee will be charged for permits purchased through Recreation.gov.

Traditional Christmas tree permits are still available through Umatilla National Forest offices and several local businesses. All Umatilla National Forest offices are open for business Monday through Friday at the locations listed at the end of this news release.

Participating vendors are conveniently open evenings and weekend hours. A list of vendors is available online or at the end of this news release. Traditional permits are valid on National Forest System lands only and do not authorize tree cutting on private, state, or other federally managed lands.

As part of the national Every Kid Outdoors initiative, all fourth graders are eligible for a free Christmas tree permit from their local National Forest. For students to receive a free tree permit, they must present a valid paper voucher printed from the Every Kid Outdoors website. Visit https://everykidoutdoors.gov/ and follow instructions to obtain and print the paper voucher.

For more information about purchasing a permit and gathering a Christmas tree online, please visit https://www.recreation.gov and search for Umatilla National Forest.