The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has announced a series of holiday affordability measures that are aimed at helping families save money, enjoy public lands and support wildfire prevention efforts across Oregon and Washington during the 2025-2026 winter season.
Effective immediately through Jan. 31, the BLM is reducing many personal-use permit fees to just $1, including Christmas tree permits and firewood permits.
Local BLM offices are also opening new cutting areas in overstocked woodlands to provide families with more opportunities to gather their own firewood and Christmas trees, while also supporting forest thinning and hazardous fuel reduction, according to a news release from the BLM.
“Here in Oregon and Washington, families rely on public lands for tradition, recreation, and essential resources,” said Barry Bushue, BLM state director for Washington and Oregon. “These fee reductions and expanded access make it easier for people to gather firewood and Christmas trees close to home, all while helping us reduce hazardous fuels and improve forest health.”
These actions will contribute to national savings estimated at more than $9.4 million this holiday season, the release stated.
Effective immediately, the BLM will:
• Reduce fees for personal-use Christmas tree and firewood permits.
• Increase household limits to up to 10 cords of firewood and up to three Christmas trees, with flexibility to adjust limits in areas with abundant resources.
These steps will help reduce household costs, expand access to local woodlands and improve forest conditions by removing overstocked or hazardous fuels, BLM stated. The BLM will continue coordinating with community partners, tribal governments and local organizations to share information about permit availability and new cutting areas.
Residents can find up-to-date information on permit locations, cutting area maps and safety guidance at https://tinyurl.com/5fhapt8d.
The BLM manages roughly 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation, according to the release.
