The White Mountain National Forest, Androscoggin Ranger District has begun selling permits to cut Christmas trees through Dec. 23.
Permits may be purchased at the Androscoggin Ranger Station at 300 Glen Road in Gorham. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.
Tree cutting permits will also be sold in Bethel on Dec. 10 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Foodliner. The cost is $5 per tree permit. Only cash and checks will be accepted at all locations.
All trees are native and are not as full or shaped as those sold at commercial lots. Trees are of various species, including balsam fir and red spruce.
Safety suggestions:
·Dress warm and be prepared for changes in weather.
·Forest roads will not be plowed. We recommend you carry chains and/or use a four-wheel drive vehicle.
·Have a full tank of gas.
· A good place to look for a tree is in an old timber sale or clear-cut.
Please remember:
·Trees are for personal use only, not for resale.
·Attach your tree tag after cutting and before transporting your tree.
·Use only hand tools to cut Christmas trees. Chainsaws are not permitted.
·Do not cut trees larger than 8 inches in diameter at chest height. Pack down limb piles low enough so they are within 2 feet of the ground. Scatter limbs and wood at least 25 feet away from roads, streams, hiking trails, and property boundaries.
·Cut your tree so remaining stumps will be less than 10 inches in height.
·Do not cut trees in or near campgrounds, picnic areas, Experimental Forests, Wilderness, timber sale areas, or within 100 feet of a state highway.
For more information about the 2016 Androscoggin Holiday Tree Program, call the district office at 603-466-2713.