Permits
A special-use authorization is a legal document such as a permit, term permit, lease, or easement, which allows occupancy, use, rights, or privileges of National Forest System land. The agency’s special-use program, which follows agency policy and federal law, allows uses of those lands that provide a benefit to the general public and protect public and natural resources values.
Who needs a special use permit?
Gatherings of groups of 75 people or more or any organized activities where a participation fee is charged or where the primary purpose is the sale of goods or services, regardless of whether the activity is intended to produce a profit, may require permits.
Permits manage land use, protecting natural resources from overuse or damage. The permit application process varies depending upon the type of special use. Unless otherwise noted, applicants will complete an SF-299 form and submit the completed application to the relevant specialist listed at the bottom of this web page.
Non-Commercial Group Use
Under regulations, a group use is an activity that involves a group of 75 or more people, either as participants or spectators. Noncommercial is any use or activity where an entry or participation fee is not charged, and the primary purpose is not the sale of a goods or service. Some examples of noncommercial group use are weddings, church services, endurance rides, regattas, camping trips, hikes, music festivals, rallies, graduations, and races.
Non-Commercial Group Use Permit Application
Recreation Events
Activities that require a recreation special use permit include competitive races, contests, fund raisers, eco-challenges, dog trails, club activities, adventure games and endurance races. If you or your organization is considering holding such an event on the national forest, contact your local ranger district well in advance of the scheduled event to determine whether a permit is available.
Recreation Event Permit Application
Commercial Filming and Photography
Commercial filming and still photography on national forest lands require a special use authorization.
Note: professional photographers for weddings or elopements are not considered commercial use and do not require a commercial permit. Filming or still photography at an activity or event that is allowed or authorized, including a wedding, engagement party, family reunion, or celebration of a graduate, shall be considered merely incidental.
Commercial Film/Photo Permit Application
Road Use Permits
Using a national forest road for commercial hauling requires a permit or written authorization.
Outfitters & Guides
Outfitters & guides may apply for temporary or long-term priority use permits (where available). Temporary use permits authorize short-term, non-renewable outfitting and guiding use that is authorized in increments of 50 service days, up to a maximum of 200 service days in a 180-day period. A service day is a day or any part of a day for which an outfitter or guide provides service to a client on National Forest System (NFS) lands (1 service day for each client per 24 hours). For example, if an outfitter brings 5 clients on the forest for one day, that visit would utilize 5 service days. Priority use permits authorize outfitter and guide activity for up to 10 years, based on the holder’s past use and performance and applicable programmatic or project decisions to allocate use. Priority use authorizations are, with some exceptions, subject to renewal.
Temporary Use Permits
Timelines:
- June 01 is the recommended deadline for Fall / Winter proposals.
- December 01 is the recommended deadline for Spring/Summer proposals.
Duration and flat rates:
- Temporary Use Permits are valid for 1-180 days at a time.
- The land use fees for temporary use permits are calculated on a flat fee schedule based on the number of service days.
Service Days are calculated as: Client x Calendar Day
| Number of Service Days | Flat Fee | Maximum Gross Revenue for Each Bracket of Service Days |
1 to 50 | $150 | $10,000 |
51 to 100 | $300 | $20,000 |
101 to 150 | $450 | $30,000 |
151 to 200 | $600 | $40,000 |
Special Forest Products (SFP) are natural resources such as, wild edible mushrooms, fruits and nuts; medicinal plants and fungi; floral greenery and small plants for transplanting; fiber, oil resins, and other chemical extracts from plants, lichens, and fungi; including fuelwood and small diameter wood used for poles, posts, and carvings. Special forest products are a significant cultural value representing a long history of ecological knowledge and an important part of local economy.
What are Special Forest Products?
Special Forest Products defined by the Forest Service are: items collected from National Forest System lands that include, but are not limited to: bark, berries, boughs, bryophytes, bulbs, burls, Christmas trees, cones, ferns, firewood, forbs, fungi (including mushrooms), grasses, mosses, nuts, pine straw, roots, sedges, seeds, transplants, tree sap, wildflowers, fence material, mine props, posts and poles, shingle and shake bolts, and rails. All of these products are derived from plants.
View a list of special forest products permits
What is excluded?
Special Forest Products do not include: sawtimber, pulpwood, non-sawlog material removed in log form, cull logs, small roundwood, house logs, telephone poles, derrick poles, minerals, animals, animal parts, insects, worms, rocks, water, and soil. If you wish to gather any of these contact your local Ranger District office.
Rules and Regulations
A permit is required to remove products from the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Authorization to remove products falls under various programs.
Rules and regulations regarding harvest of forest products vary depending on the land management agency. It is the responsibility of the harvester/permitted individual to understand and follow these regulations and to be aware of ownership or management regarding private, State and federally managed lands. The permit issued by a USDA Forest service office or ranger station is valid only on Forest Service lands.
Gathering, harvesting, or collecting is Prohibited inside the Legislated Wilderness Areas, Research Natural Areas, Experimental Forests, and other administratively closed areas. Harvesting rare, threatened or endangered plants is Illegal. Contact the nearest Ranger District office for additional information.
Do Your Part
If you pack it in, pack it out. Please remove all trash!
- Do your part and respect the Forest by leaving it clean and free of trash. For more information on how you can help, read the following information about practicing Leave No Trace principles.
- Follow all permit conditions.
- Follow general rules and regulations for use of National Forest Systems lands, which are available at Ranger District offices.
- Proper gathering techniques of Special Forest Products to ensure future availability.
- It is ILLEGAL to harvest rare, threatened, or endangered plants.
Motorized and mechanized equipment
- Motorized and mechanized equipment are not allowed, including bicycles, carts, wagons, chainsaws, hang gliders and off-road vehicles and other wheeled vehicles, drones and UAS, landing aircraft, air dropping or picking up supplies, materials or people are prohibited.
Maximum party-size
- A limit of 12 for a group, in any combination of people and pack and saddle animals, is the rule for wilderness areas no matter the event. Groups exceeding 12 must divide into physically and logistically separate parties and maintain a minimum distance of one-mile separation.
Shortcutting trails
- Shortcutting trails and switchbacks are prohibited, as this damages the trails, soil and vegetation.
Protection and restoration
- Some areas are closed to allow the natural vegetation a chance to recover after years of heavy recreation use. Do not walk or camp in areas posted as being closed for restoration.
Livestock feed
- The use of pelletized or certified weed-free feed is required in all National Forests in the Pacific Northwest. This helps prevent the introduction and spread of invasive plants.
- Grazing, hitching, tethering, or hobbling any pack and/or saddle livestock within 200 feet of a lakeshore is prohibited.
Campfires
- Do not build campfires where posted as prohibited. Camp stoves are recommended in all wilderness locations.
Caching restrictions
- Leaving or storing equipment, personal property or supplies is prohibited. Do not leave items unattended for more than 48 hours. This will reduce the chances of wildlife scattering equipment and supplies and keep the landscape free from signs of human activity.
No Cutting Allowed
- Cutting standing green trees, snags and boughs is prohibited. Healthy trees and decrepit snags are important components of the ecosystem.
Contact a Permit Specialist
Permit specialists will help you decide what kind of permit you may need and help you apply for it. These individuals provide services for different activities located in areas on various ranger districts. If the topics listed below do not cover your activity, please contact the associated ranger district.
Commercial Filming & Still Photography
Orlando Garcia, 360-854-2663
Non-recreational land uses (i.e. communication sites, easements, pipelines, apiary):
Eric Ozog, 360-691-4396
Minerals & Geology, including mining, landscape rock, rip rap, river rock, pit run, crushed rock:
Robert James, 425-783-6082
Land and water-based outfitter and guides, recreation events, noncommercial group use events, weddings:
Mt. Baker and Darrington Ranger Districts:
Orlando Garcia, 360-854-2663
Skykomish and Snoqualmie Ranger Districts:
Tyler Willingham, 425-395-0523