Lake Tahoe Fuelwood Permits Go On Sale May 19

Fuelwood permits in both South and North Lake Tahoe go on sale next week. They'll start selling permits at the SLT office on Monday, May 19 and the NLT office on Wednesday, May 21.

Permits cost $20 per cord, with a two-cord minimum purchase and a limit of 10 cords per household.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) will sell the permits until November 14. The last day to cut wood is November 19, 2014.

Permits have specific conditions and complete information is provided when the permit is issued. Maps to designated cutting areas are provided and must be in the permit holder’s possession along with the valid permit. The permit is for collection of “down-dead” wood up to a 30-inch maximum diameter in designated fuelwood areas within the Lake Tahoe Basin. "Down-dead" means the tree is down on the ground and dead, rather than dead and standing. Cutting any standing tree, whether dead or green, is not allowed.

No off-road travel is allowed and permit holders must comply with all permit conditions. Some designated fuelwood areas are only open during specified dates and all areas are subject to closure at any time. Permit holders should stay off private property and show courtesy regarding noise or collection activity on National Forest System lands near homes or neighborhoods.

Forest roads and gates begin closing in mid-November. Some cutting areas may not be accessible by vehicle in areas where gates have closed. Permit holders should check whether road closures are in effect and should not go behind closed gates. For a complete list of opening/closing dates, visit http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/ltbmu/OpeningClosingDates.