Mushroom Harvesting
Maps (PDF) - collection areas
Colorado
Wyoming
Standard Program Information
Mushroom Permit Information Brochure in PDF format
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Permits for harvesting wild mushrooms are available at all six Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests (MBR) ranger district offices.
- Both personal and commercial-use permits are required for mushroom collection on lands managed by the MBR.
- Personal-use permits, which are free-of-charge and available on all six districts, allow permitted individuals or households to collect up to one gallon per day, or up to five gallons per calendar year.
- Commercial permits cost $20 each and allow permitted users to collect 10 gallons in one seven-day period on any of the three districts of the Medicine Bow National Forest. Commercial permits cannot be issued for households or groups, each commercial mushroom collector must hold a valid individual permit. Commercial collecting is not permitted on the three districts of the Routt National Forest.
Specific terms and conditions apply to personal and commercial-use permits. A complete list of terms and conditions will be issued with permits, and permit holders are responsible for understanding and following the terms of the permit they hold. Conditions specific to collection on the MBR are listed below.
Personal-Use Mushroom Permit Conditions
· This permit shall be carried at all times when collecting, and must be shown upon request, to a Forest Service Officer.
· Harvesting of mushrooms is prohibited in any Wilderness Area, Research Natural Area, or Special Interest Area. It is the permittee’s responsibility to ensure they are not in a restricted area. Violator will be cited.
· Harvesting is not permitted within 100 feet of any open Forest Road and 500 feet from Snowy Range Scenic Byway (Hwy 130, WY) and/or Battle Highway (Hwy 70, WY).
· Harvesting is not permitted within 100 feet of developed areas including campgrounds, picnic grounds and recreational residences.
· Cut or break the mushrooms off at ground level.
· Raking or other ground disturbing activities when collecting mushrooms is prohibited.
· Matsutake mushrooms (Tricholoma magnivelare) also commonly known as pine mushrooms, must be cut in half at the time of harvest. Mushrooms cannot be sold.
· Each household can harvest up to 1 gallon of mushrooms per day with a maximum total of 5 gallons per calendar year.
Commercial-Use Mushroom Permit Conditions
· This permit shall be carried at all times when collecting and must be shown upon request to a Forest Service Officer.
· Harvesting of mushrooms is prohibited in any Wilderness Areas, Research Natural Areas, or Special Interest Area. It is the permittee’s responsibility to ensure they are not in a restricted area. Violators will be cited.
· Harvesting is not permitted within 100 feet of any open Forest road and 500 feet from the Snowy Range Scenic Byway (Hwy 130, WY) and /or the Battle Highway (Hwy 70, WY).
· Harvesting is not permitted within 100 feet of developed areas including campgrounds, picnic grounds and recreational residences.
· Harvesting is not permitted anywhere on the Routt National Forest. Permit is only valid on the Medicine Bow National Forest only.
· All harvesters over the age of 12 will be required to hold an individual permit. Parent or guardian’s name will be included on the minor’s permit. If harvesters are under the age of 18, permit must be kept with the parent/legal guardian while collecting and transporting mushrooms.
· Cut or break the mushroom off at ground level.
· Raking or other ground disturbing activities when collecting mushrooms is prohibited.
· Harvesters will conduct themselves with civility at ALL times. Conflicts with other mushrooms harvesters, territorial actions and other disruptive behavior will result in the loss of this permit.
· Each permit is valid for the collection of up to 10 gallons of mushrooms in one 7 day period. The permit expires 7 days from the date of issue. Individuals will be permitted to purchase up to 5 charge mushrooms permits per calendar year.
There is a risk in consuming wild mushrooms! If you’re planning on eating wild mushrooms, nothing less than 100-percent positive ID will do. Some mushrooms are deadly or extremely hazardous when consumed. Some that are not deadly can nevertheless cause permanent organ damage. Poisonous mushrooms can be easily be confused with edible ones.Fungi are very diverse and it can take several years of education and experience to accurately identify mushrooms to species. It is estimated that there are over 10,000 species of mushrooms in North America alone, only 250 of which are edible. A safe and fun alternative for non-experts interested in mushroom hunting is photographing and studying mushrooms in their natural habitat.
“Have fungi. But be careful. Please.”