Event/Commercial Permits

Commercial activities must obtain a permit when they charge a participation fee or where the primary purpose is the sale of goods or services, regardless of whether the activity is intended to produce a profit. Permits control recreational land use, protecting natural resources from overuse or damage. Special use permits must be obtained through the Superior National Forests.

Outfitters Guides on National Forests lands and Grasslands provide specialized knowledge, skills, experience, and equipment that general recreationists might not otherwise possess. They contribute to high quality opportunities for people to recreate on public lands regardless of their skill level or prior experience. 

Proponents submitting a new outfitter guide proposal must submit a complete proposal form by the following dates: January 31st or June 30th to the District Special Use Permit Administrator. Proposals will begin being evaluated after each proposal deadline date. The preferred format for a proposal is a well thought out Business Plan.

A business plan should include sufficient detail of your proposal that the Forest Service can make an informed decision whether to accept an application. At a minimum, the Business Plan should address these points:

• Business and contact name
• Address and phone number/email
• Background – technical ability to guide
• Proposed services – type of guiding service; number of service days*
• Proposed locations and season of use – be specific; entry points, trail heads, routes, anticipated number of trips.
• Equipment provided
• Transportation of clients
• Proposed fees
• Evaluation of public need for this service – targeted audience or clientele and plans for engaging youth or underserved groups
• Comparison with any similar existing services already under a Special Use permit

*Service day = 1 client x 1 day on National Forest System Land

Once a proposal is received and the seasonal submission deadline has past, the proposal will be evaluated in accordance with national policy. If a proposal is found to be acceptable an application will need to be completed. Application will include:

• A signed Special Use Application and Permit for Outfitting and Guiding (Form SF 299)(pdf). This is the official application for all special use activities. Please answer questions as they apply to your outfitting and guiding proposal
• A completed Outfitter Operating Plan. (pdf)
• Current insurance certificate included in the application package that shows the United States as secondary insured with a combine single limit coverage of $1,000,000.00. The agency will determine that the complete application complies with the Forest’s land and resource management plan; National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements are met; there is a demonstrated need for the activity and the use is appropriate on National Forest System Lands; and the applicant has the Technical and Financial capability to provide outfitting & guiding services.
• Additional resource - FS Handbook 2709.14 (pdf)
• Recreational Commercial Services Analysis

If the proposal is accepted, a cost recovery fee will be assessed and must be paid prior to processing application.

In addition to the cost recovery fee, the land use fee for approved applications is based upon the following criteria:

Still Photography Fee Schedule 2024

• 1-10 people - $50/day
• 11-30 people - $150/day
• 31 or more people - $250/day

Commercial Filming Schedule 2024

• 1-10 people - $150/day
• 11-30 people - $200/day
• 31-60 people - $500/day
• 61 or more people - $600/day

The Forest Service shall collect any costs incurred as a result of the film/photography activities including but not limited to administrative and personnel costs.

Commercial filming/photography with a UAS requires operators to possess a FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate. We require a copy of FAA drone registration, aircraft registrations, flight plan, and flyers contact information for approved proposals. Proof of liability insurance is required. Drones are prohibited from taking off, flying within or landing within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). For more information on drones visit our Drones on the Forest page.

The following terms are used to describe components of still photography and commercial filming activities:

Actor: An individual who either:

1. Portrays a character or himself/herself in the reenactment of an event or incident, or
2. Narrates a storyline for commercial filming purposes. News broadcasters and correspondents, as well as witnesses, victims, or other parties interviewed by a news broadcaster or correspondent, who appear before a camera in the reporting of breaking news, are not considered actors for purposes of this definition.

Breaking News: An event or incident that arises suddenly, evolves quickly, and rapidly ceases to be newsworthy.

Commercial Filming: Use of motion picture, videotaping, sound-recording, or any other type of moving image or audio recording equipment on NFS lands that involves the advertisement of a product or service, the creation of a product for sale, or the use of actors, models, sets, or props, but not including activities associated with broadcasting breaking news. For purposes of this definition, creation of a product for sale includes a film, videotape, television broadcast, or documentary of historic events, wildlife, natural events, features, subjects or participants in a sporting or recreation event, and so forth, when created for the purpose of generating income.

Model: An individual who poses for the commercial filming or still photography of a product or service for the purpose of promoting its sale or use. A model may also include inanimate objects, such as vehicles, boats, off-highway vehicles, articles of clothing, food and beverage products, and so forth, placed on NFS lands so that they may be filmed, photographed, or recorded to promote their sale or use.

Sets and Props: Items constructed or placed on NFS lands to accommodate commercial filming or still photography, such as backdrops, generators, microphones, stages, lighting banks, camera tracks, vehicles specifically designed to accommodate camera or recording equipment, rope and pulley systems, rigging for climbers, and structures. Sets and props also include trained animals and inanimate objects, such as camping equipment, campfires, wagons, and so forth, when used to stage a specific scene. A set or prop does not include any of the preceding items when they are used to report breaking news, nor does a prop include a hand-held camera or a camera mounted on a tripod.

Still Photography: The use of photographic equipment to capture still images on film, digital format, and other similar technologies on NFS lands that:

1. Takes place at a location where members of the public are generally not allowed or where additional administrative costs are likely, or
2. Uses models, sets, or props that are not part of the site’s natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities.