Personal use firewood cutting on the Salmon-Challis National Forest will be free to the general public from April 1, 2020 through June 1, 2020. A personal use firewood permit and load tags will not be required during this time.
Standing dead and down trees may be gathered for firewood. Wood cutters can take up to four (4) cords of firewood for personal use. A cord is the amount of tightly piled wood in a stack four feet high by four feet wide by eight feet long.
This authority applies to Salmon-Challis National Forest system lands only.
Forest Service officials request that wood cutters follow these restrictions and requirements:
- Prior to haul, firewood material 7 inches in diameter or larger needs to be cut into lengths less than 8 feet. Smaller material can be removed in longer lengths.
- No firewood cutting within 300 feet of streams, lakes, ponds, or wet/boggy areas. Do not fall or drag trees across streams.
- Only standing dead trees with no green needles, or downed trees may be gathered for firewood. Do not cut trees that are signed, painted or appear to be protected for other resource purposes. Leave stumps as low as possible, but no higher than 8 inches.
- To reflect implementation of the Salmon-Challis National Forest Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM), open travel routes are identified on the current MVUM and governs use of all motorized vehicles on the Forest. Motorized vehicles are allowed within 300 feet from the centerline of the designated routes for the purpose of cutting and removing firewood, provided no resource damage occurs.
- No firewood cutting is allowed within signed timber sales, or 200 feet of administrative sites, campgrounds, research natural areas, or other areas signed on the ground as closed to firewood cutting. In addition, no firewood cutting is allowed in those areas designated by color shading or by description as portrayed on the Salmon-Challis firewood map.
- Firewood obtained is intended for personal use only. Free use firewood may not be resold. Inquire by phone (208-756-5100) or email regarding commercial firewood permits.
- Persons may gather firewood on behalf of someone else physically unable to gather on their own.
- Pile or lop and scatter slash away from roads, power lines, telephone lines, ditches and stream courses.
Wood cutters should also use caution while driving on Forest Service roads. Many remain snow covered and icy at higher elevations. Roads at lower elevations may be wet and muddy and the soft roadbed can easily be damaged by vehicle traffic.
For more information and guidelines, please check the firewood cutting brochure available at https://bit.ly/SCF-personalusefuelwood and contact the Forest at 208-756-5100. Fuelwood maps for the Forest can be found at https://bit.ly/SCFMaps. Salmon-Challis National Forest information can be found online on our homepage at https://www.fs.usda.gov/scnf/.
