SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — If your holiday plans include chopping down a Christmas tree in the Lake Tahoe Basin, the time to get your permit is quickly approaching.
The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit says permit sales will start Monday, Nov. 6 at the Forest Supervisor’s office at 35 College Drive in South Lake Tahoe. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The permits are $10 and are cash-only. Permits are limited to one per family or household.
The permit program began more than 20 years ago and an average of 2,500 permits are sold annually. They’re expecting to sell around 2,000 this year.
If you don’t get a permit this year, you’ll have to wait awhile because they’re planning on pausing it in 2024 so the current saplings can grow.
This year, cutting will be limited to the following three areas: Fountain Place Road (1201) at the end of Oneidas Street off Pioneer Trail; Lower Barker Pass Road in Blackwood Canyon (15N38) off Highway 89; and Baldwin Beach Road (1305) off Highway 89. Maps will be provided when you purchase a permit.
If you have a permit, you’ll be allowed to cut down a tree until Dec. 31.
For online permits, check www.recreation.gov for nearby forests.
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