Know your Christmas tree chopping rules, deputies warn after Oregon forest arrests
Harvesting a Christmas tree from a national forest can be perfectly legal — but don’t steal one by flouting permit requirements, Oregon deputies warn.
Two men have already learned the hard way this month that it’s illegal to take “special forest products” without permission, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
The pair got pulled over on Highway 22 near Stayton, Oregon, on Nov. 12 while driving a pickup carrying a 3,800-pound load of fir boughs from Willamette National Forest, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said in a Nov. 20 Facebook post. Deputies said the branches were “intended to be used commercially for creating holiday decorations.”
The Washington County men — Jose Lucas Lucas, 42, and Juan Lucas Perez, 31 — were charged with unlawful cutting and transport of special forest products, deputies said.
The Sheriff’s Office said “our Forest Patrol deputies will see an increase in people heading into the Willamette National Forest looking for the perfect tree … [and will] be on the lookout for those involved in the theft of special forest products.”
Deputies said “special forest products” is an umbrella term that covers “Christmas trees and boughs, cones, bear grass, salal and firewood.”
“The illegal harvest and sales of special forest products in Oregon is a continuing concern as we work to preserve the natural beauty of our outdoor recreational areas,” deputies said. “Illegally harvested forest products are commonly used commercially in the creation of decorations, floral displays or shipped overseas.”
The Sheriff’s Office encouraged people to learn more about permitting rules from the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the Oregon Department of Forestry.
“Harvesting of special forest products is allowed in most national forests,” said Steven Baker of the U.S. Forest Service, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting. “But often a permit is required. And each forest is unique and has different rules for special forest products.”
This year, Willamette National Forest is among 13 national forests across the U.S. that is “participating in a pilot program offering Christmas tree permits online through the Open Forest System,” the U.S. Forest Service said in a news release.
“We are excited to have Christmas tree permits available online this year through Open Forest,” Special Forest Products Coordinator Christian Mercado said in a statement, adding that permits are $5 and allow holders to chop down one tree in designated areas. “We hope this opportunity makes the process more timely and efficient.”
Sales end Jan. 6, 2020, according to federal officials.
This story was originally published November 28, 2019 at 1:41 PM with the headline "Know your Christmas tree chopping rules, deputies warn after Oregon forest arrests."
