Firewood Cutting Permits

Those wishing to cut firewood from the national forest may obtain a free woodcutting permit starting Early May each spring from any Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest office.

In spring 2024, free personal use woodcutting permits will be available at these offices on the following dates:

  • Cle Elum Ranger District office on April 19
  • Methow Valley, Chelan, and Wenatchee River Ranger District offices on May 1
  • Naches Ranger District office on May 6
  • Okanogan-Wenatchee NF Headquarters office on May 15

The permit and associated tags allow the cutting of firewood in select areas of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest and are valid through December 31. Please be aware, woodcutting season on the Naches Ranger District generally closes on September 30.

Permits will also be available at local vendor stores in the Methow Valley and Ellensburg. Vendors add a $2 processing fee.

When getting a free woodcutting permit:

  • People will need to provide their driver’s license.
  • The permit holder will receive a permit, firewood tags, and map, which should be carried with them when cutting and transporting firewood.
  • The permit holder must also be present during firewood gathering on the National Forest.

Woodcutters may obtain a maximum of 12 cords of wood per household per year. This limit is a combined total of all personal AND commercial cords. The minimum cords per permit is four.

Personal firewood permits are available for free. Those who receive free use firewood permits may use the firewood for cutting, manufacturing, or other processing, but not for resale. The total amount of free use material granted to an individual in any fiscal year cannot exceed $200 in value (36 CFR 223.8).

Commercial firewood permits are available to purchase from the Cle Elum, Chelan, and Methow Valley Ranger Districts.  For those interested in obtaining a commercial firewood permit for reselling firewood, the minimum permit purchase is four cords for $20 and the maximum is 12 cords for $60.  Contact those offices directly for details on permitted locations.

Please contact the appropriate Ranger District for information.  

For woodcutting on Chelan, Entiat, Wenatchee River and Cle Elum Ranger Districts, see 
Woodcutting Information and Maps publication [2-page PDF: 4.3mb]

 

The Naches Ranger District has a SHORTER woodcutting permit season and different rules than other districts. See:

Naches Ranger District Woodcutting Information

 

For woodcutting on Methow Valley Ranger District, see links to PDF documents below:

Viewing and Printing Tips for Woodcutting Maps: 
First, save the map you want to your computer by right-clicking on the link and then selecting "Save link as..." in pop up menu. (You can also go to the map link and once map loads you can right click on map and do a "Save as...")  Either way you can rename map when you save it, since it defaults to database name. Then open the file with Acrobat Reader (or Acrobat Pro). Zoom way in to the area you want to view and/or print. To print that zoomed in view, go to Print, then under More Options select "Current View" and also "Fit" under page sizing. Then print it.  

Woodcutting Permit Vendors (all charge a $2 administrative fee)

Methow Valley:

Hank’s Harvest Foods
412 E Methow Valley Hwy
Twisp, WA
509-997-7711
Open 7 days/week 7 am - 9 pm

Hank’s Mini Market
410 E Methow Valley Hwy
Twisp, WA
509-997-4332
Open 7 days/week 5 am - 10 pm

Pardner’s Mini Market
900 State Route 20
Winthrop, WA
509-996-2005
Open 7 days/week 6 am - 12 am

Ellensburg: 

Kittitas County Chamber of Commerce Office
609 N Main St.
Ellensburg, WA
509-925-2002
M-F: 9 am - 5 pm
Sat: 10 am - 2 pm 

When woodcutting, always be sure to carry the fire equipment listed on the woodcutting permit and properly secure and tag the load of wood.

Both the woodcutting permit and the woodcutting tags need to be in the woodcutter’s possession when gathering wood. Always check to find out what the Industrial Fire Precaution Level is before heading to the woods to do some woodcutting. This information is also available at any Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest office. The best woodcutting times are in the spring and fall. Contact local Ranger District offices for details.

Firewood cutting is only allowed in designated areas (except National Forest lands in Okanogan County, where firewood gathering is allowed anywhere within 200 feet of a signed, unblocked forest service road as long as you’re outside riparian areas). No woodcutting in Late-Successional reserves. No woodcutting in Wilderness Areas.  Snag felling is prohibited on the Cle Elum Ranger District. Maps for designated areas accompany the permit. The maximum is 12 cords (when used for personal use).

1. Please read your firewood permit carefully and completely.

2. The permit and woodcutting stubs must be in your possession when cutting firewood. The following equipment is also required at the cutting site when using a power saw:

  • Saw with exhaust system in good repair and a scree-type spark arrestor of 0.023" or less and qualified under USDA Forest Service Standards.
  • Shovel: Long-handled round point with an 8" blade in possession of operator.
  • Fire extinguisher: Pressurized chemical of not less than 8-ounce capacity by weight and in possession of operator.

3. Each load ticket allows you to haul 1/2 (one-half) cord of wood. If your vehicle is large enough to allow you to transport more than 1/2 cord of wood, a load ticket must be attached for each 1/2 cord of wood hauled. This ticket must be marked to indicate the month and day of use, and be attached to the load when the vehicle is moved from the cutting site.

illustration of a cord of wood
Cord of Wood

A standard, full cord of wood is a volume of 128 cubic feet, measured as a pile 8 feet long, 4 feet high and 4 feet wide. A full cord can weigh up to 5,000 pounds.

 

illustration of wood in a small pickup truck
Small Pickup -- 1/4 ton

With or without racks this truck bed holds approximately 1/2 (one-half) cord of wood. One load ticket required.

 

illustration of firewood in a short bed pickup truck
Short Bed Pickup -- 1/2 ton

With or without racks this truck bed holds approximately 1/2 (one-half) cord of wood. One load ticket required.

 

illustration of firewood in a long bed pickup truck
Long Bed Pickup -- 1/2 or 3/4 ton

Without racks this truck bed holds approximately 1/2 (one-half) cord of wood. One load ticket required.

With racks this truck bed holds approximately 1 (one) cord of wood. Two load tickets required.

 

illustration of firewood in a standard 1-ton truck
Standard Truck -- 1 ton

With high racks this truck bed holds approximately 1 1/2 (one and a half) cords of wood. Three load tickets required.

Please note that trucks may be overloaded when filled with wood. Check the owner's manual for your vehicle to see what load weights the truck can safely haul and make sure your vehicle is licensed for the weight you will be hauling.

Save money!

Five easy ways to make your wood fuel last longer

Keep your wood dry

  • Split wood before you stack it.  Wood pieces 3 ½ to 6 inches in diameter dry easiest and burn best.
  • Stack wood loosely in alternating directions to help it dry.
  • Store wood at least 6 inches off the ground.
  • Cover your wood.
  • Give it a year.  Wood that has been split, dried, and stored under cover for at least a year burns best.

Burn with care

  • Build small fires to help the wood burn completely.  Adding too much wood at one time cuts down on the air to the fire and leaves you with unburned wood. 
  • Keep your fire hot. Dampering down your stove just cuts off the air, which wastes wood, creates a lot of smoke, and produces very little heat. 

Check your chimney smoke

  • If you can see smoke coming from your chimney, you’re wasting fuel and your fire needs more air.

Use the right wood stove or fireplace for your home

  • Use a wood stove or fireplace that is certified in Washington, the right size, and properly installed.  For details, go to the Department of Ecology web site at www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/air/airhome.html and click on the wood stove/fireplace photo.

Obey burn bans

  • Call 1-800-406-5322 and listen for woodstove burn ban language or go to www.waburnbans.net to see if there is a burn ban where you live. If there is, don’t burn.  Burning during a ban can harm your family’s health or cause a fire danger.