This sounds like a good get-a-way for the family tree search! Make some memories in the snow.
Superior National Forest Holiday Greenery
Christmas Trees
Cutting your own Christmas tree can be a festive outing to begin the holiday season. The ritual of hiking through the woods with your family and choosing your personal tree from among the millions of spruce, fir, and pine can greatly enrich a holiday season. A permit to cut one Christmas tree on Forest Service land may be purchased for $5.00 at any Forest Service office. Please follow the rules below while choosing your Christmas tree. There is a limit of two permits per family per year.
· Make sure you are on National Forest land, but not within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Maps can be viewed or purchased at Forest Service offices.
· Choose cutting areas away from plantations, developed recreation or administration sites, and Research Natural Areas.
· Walk well off the road side to select your tree.
· Select a tree the correct size for your home. Do not cut the top off of a taller tree. The maximum stump height is 12 inches.
· There is a two permit limit for each household per year.
Balsam Boughs
Gathering balsam boughs to make wreaths is becoming more popular each year. To protect the balsam fir trees on the Superior National Forest, bough gathering permits that specify where and how to cut boughs are issued by the various Forest Service offices in Aurora, Cook, Ely, Grand Marais and Tofte. Permits are required for personal or commercial use.
All bough cutting parties must have a permit. Parties can have up to 5 pickers listed. If you are cutting boughs for personal (non-commercial) use, you may purchase a permit for $20 and cut enough boughs for 5 wreaths. If you are picking commercially to supply commercial manufacturers, there is a minimum permit fee of $50 for two tons. Additional tons may be harvested at $25.00 per ton. Please follow the rules below while harvesting balsam boughs. Note additional rules on your permit.
· Make sure you are on National Forest land, but not within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Maps can be purchased at Forest Service offices.
· Walk at least 50 feet off the roadside, trail, lake, or recreation area before selecting the trees from which to harvest.
· Harvest boughs from trees that are greater than 7 feet high.
· Never fell trees to harvest boughs. You may only harvest branches from the lower half of the tree. Leave a portion of each pruned branch for regeneration.
· Harvested branches should have ends no larger in diameter than a pencil. As you harvest along the branch, leave part of the branch for growth and regeneration. Cutting at a fork will leave one side of the fork for regeneration.
· Keep your permit with you while harvesting boughs.
· Harvesting of Princess Pine is not allowed on the Superior National Forest.
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