Southwest Oregon, 18 November 2025—For many families, venturing out onto public lands to cut a Christmas tree is an annual holiday tradition! The process of obtaining the permits differs a bit by agency, but families can cut Christmas trees on Forest Service or BLM lands using a permit from either agency.
Each $5.00 permit allows the cutting of one personal-use Christmas tree, and a permit is required for each individual tree visitors wish to take home.
Permits can be purchased in several ways:
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- Online: BLM issued tree permits are available for purchase online starting November 17. Forest Service issued tree permits are available for purchase online through recreation.gov, and a $2.50 processing fee will apply to the transaction.
- In person at Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management offices: We recommend you call the specific office where you plan to purchase a permit ahead of visiting to confirm hours. All offices currently have permits on hand to coincide with the rec.gov online permit availability.
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- Local vendors: Many local businesses across southwest Oregon are selling Christmas tree permits. The current vendor list is available on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest website . Please call the vendor to ensure permits are available.
- Free for Fourth Graders: If a fourth grade student has their valid 2025-2026 Every Kid Outdoors pass, they can get a Christmas tree permit for free! For in-person permits, the fourth grader must be present in an office to receive their permit. Students may also get their permit on recreation.gov, where a $2.50 processing fee will apply to the transaction.
Permits are non-refundable. There is a limit of five tree permits per household, and the permits may be used only on those lands open to Christmas tree harvesting that are administered by the RRSNF and the Bureau of Land Management Medford District. Free printable maps that identify these areas are provided at the time of permit purchase on recreation.gov, as well as for home printing on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest’s website. Those wishing to use digital maps and navigation systems can download the free maps to use on the mapping app, Avenza. Maps will also be available on a limited basis in front of offices.
Happy tree hunting from the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest and the Bureau of Land Management Medford District!