Plenty of Christmas Tree permits remain available in Lake Tahoe Basin

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Plenty of permits to cut down Christmas trees in the Lake Tahoe Basin remain at both sales locations. Due to permits being sold out after just a week in the past, people were only allowed to buy one of the $10 permits per family this year.

The result is plenty of leftovers.

On November 25, the day the permits went on sale in South Lake Tahoe, people circled the building and waited hours to make sure they didn't leave without the piece of paper allowing them to cut down a tree in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

In support of the Every Kid Outdoors program, the LTBMU will offer one free Christmas tree permit to fourth-grade students who present a valid paper voucher or durable Every Kid Outdoors pass. The student must be present to get a tag and when cutting a tree. Visit everykidoutdoors.org for information about the program and to obtain the student voucher. Then visit any participating Forest Service office present the printed voucher in person along with a parent or guardian to obtain a Christmas tree permit.

Permit Sale Locations
- Forest Supervisor’s Office, 35 College Drive, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150. This office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., excluding holidays. (If purchasing a permit at the South Lake Tahoe office, please be sure to arrive no later than 4 p.m. to help ensure there is adequate time to process your purchase before the office closes at 4:30 p.m.)
- North Lake Tahoe Visitor Center, 100 N. Lake Blvd., Tahoe City, CA 96145. This office is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., excluding Christmas Day.

- Permit holders may choose from varieties of pine, fir or cedar, in designated cutting areas, and must abide by specific permit conditions for proper and responsible collection.

- Individuals purchasing permits will receive information to help them make the best selection, as well as maps designating the tree cutting areas.

- Permit holders are reminded to respect private property by not trespassing when entering or leaving designated National Forest cutting areas.

- Permit holders should keep vehicles on National Forest System roads and are reminded to park safely off the roadway in legal areas. No off-road travel is allowed.

- In addition to the traditional experience, the permitted collection of smaller diameter trees, with a trunk of six inches in diameter or less, from selected areas contributes to the reduction of over-growth, particularly among firs, which are also the most sought after varieties for the holidays.