Forest Products Industry (non Timber)
Special Forest Products are items collected from National Forest System lands such as berries, mushrooms, firewood, Christmas trees, ferns, cones and poles. You need a permit to remove products from the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Visit the Special Forest Products and regulations page to learn about Special Forest Products and permit requirements.
Gathering, harvesting, or collecting is prohibited inside the legislated Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, Wilderness, Research Natural Areas, Experimental Forests, and other administratively closed areas. The Special Forest Products Map shows areas on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest that are open to harvesting huckleberries, mushrooms, foliage, ferns, and other forest products. Get the free Special Forest Products Map: (.pdf version) (mobile version).
Go to our Special Forest Products Permit Console to obtain a Free Use permit for mushrooms, berries or ferns. *Online permit system is not compatible with Internet Explorer.
*8See the Charge Use Permit Product Summary Table to see how much each permit may cost and the amounts you can harvest.
To obtain a permit or more information please contact your nearest Ranger District office. Note: Forest product permits are not available at Forest Headquarters at this time.
Berries
To help maintain sustainable huckleberry populations, permits are required for everyone who plans to harvest huckleberries on the forest. Get a Free Use Permit online for personal use.
Bark, Conks, Stumps, Cones
Bark, conks and stumps are offered in limited quantities under the Free Use permits. The supply of these products may dictate how many permits are issued each year. None of these products can be sold or traded.
Christmas Trees
Find local vendors where you can get your tree permit, or purchase a permit online at recreation.gov. Learn how to cut and select a tree & get some safety tips!
Cuttings ( i.e. beargrass, salal)
Cuttings are parts of plants including beargrass, salal, huckleberries and ferns. Tree boughs may be sold for personal use on some Ranger Districts.
Firewood
A permit is required to remove firewood from the Forest. A Free Use permit is available for those who want firewood for personal use.
Mushrooms
A permit is required to remove mushrooms from the forest. Get a Free Use Permit online for personal use.
Posts, Poles & Rails
Learn the difference between a post, pole and a rail. Find limits on how many posts, poles, and rails that you may harvest with a permit.
Rocks & Minerals
Rock, Stone and minerals may require a permit to gather. Please check with your local ranger district to learn more about where you can get rock and which areas may be restricted from collecting material.
Transplants
Transplant is a general term for a plant that has been moved from one place to another. They include small trees, shrubs, ferns, and small non-woody plants. A permit is required to remove plants from the forest.
Other Forest Products
Timber
- The Gifford Pinchot authorizes the harvest of timber through competitively bid timber sale contracts. For a list of sales currently offered for bid please see the Timber Sales section at the bottom of the Resource Management page.
Hunting and Fishing
- The State of Washington manages the animal populations and the capture or harvest of animals is governed by the laws of Washington State. Contact the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (http://wdfw.wa.gov/) for authorization to capture or harvest animals. View our forest hunting information here.