Lumberjacks, Unite! National Park Xmas Tree Permits Are Now On Sale

Posted by on Tuesday, November 24th, 2015 at 12:40pm.

You scoff at the thought of welcoming an artificial tree into your home. It's lifeless, papery needles are like little slivers of yuletide tomfoolery, you say. 

You'd rather pack up the family Clark Griswold-style and head to the forest belting "O, Tannenbaum" at the top of your merry lungs. 

You want to feel the weathered handle of an axe in your hands and the jolt the old girl gives you the moment it sinks its stubborn blade into the backside of an Eastern Red cedar. Or, you prefer the high-pitched wail of a chainsaw thrashing it's way through the sweet-smelling pine that will soon grace your home. 

 

You sir or ma'am, are a Christmas lumberjack, born and bred for the moment when that deep green beauty of a tree makes its graceful fall onto the snowy ground below.

And that's why you'll be happy to know that the Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands has started selling their 2015 Christmas tree permits.

So What's the Deal With This Year's Trees?

To get the scoop on this year's program, we talked with John Lee, a NNFG forester in the Chadron district. John told us you can get your permits at the Pine Ridge Disctrict's Chadron office or at the Bessey District's Halsey office (addresses/#'s at end of post). You can also order your permit over the phone by calling these offices. 

Here are the rules: your permit will cost $10, you get to cut one tree with it and when you buy your permit, you'll receive instructions on where you can and can't cut your tree. 

Once you have your permit in hand, you can chop down your tree whenever you want according to the regulations sent to you along with your permit. 

Chadron or Halsey...Which One is Best?

John was hard-pressed to give us a favorite location for trees. He digressed a moment to talk about his favorite trees. 

As a kid, he said, his parents chose their trees based on where they were living. There was a time when white spruce and balsam firs ruled the roost. When he lived in Virginia, John's parents went pine or spruce. When they lived in California, noble fir was the house favorite. 

But in terms of this year's trees, John said, if it's ponderosa pine you looking for, head to Chadron.

"For the Chadron area, it's ponderosa," he said. "It's a decent tree and i'ts a little fuller than other types." 

If you fancy yourself more of a cedar man or woman, go to Halsey. 

"There's a lot of cedar down there and I don't think you can go wrong finding one," John said. 

Overall, this year's trees are looking quite nice and should bring a lot of cheer to your living room.

"The trees are in pretty good shape this year. We had a good spring so everything is green, which is great," he said. 

Okay...I know where the pines and cedars are...but how do I pick the right one? 

The key here, John told us, is to find the lonely soul standing in the middle of the meadow. 

"The ones in the meadows grow a little slower," he said. "They'll be more bushy than the ones in the woods themselves." 

Your permit allows you to cut down a tree up to 15 feet tall. At that height, John said, you're looking at about a 30-year-old tree. 

He also pointed out that cat owners might think about getting a cedar. They're a little more sticky, which cats can't stand, he said. 

Why cut down my own tree when I can buy one from a lot or a store? 

John said the Forest Service sells tree permits as a way to get people into the outdoors and enjoy Nebraska's beautiful environs. 

"We provide something for the locals to go out and enjoy the forest while they're searching for and cutting down their tree," he said. "It's kind of like the old days." 

Also, the program helps clear out trees from spaces where they aren't supposed to be, like fire lines and meadows being encroached upon by trees.

"You get a tree and we get one less tree in a meadow or in a fire line," John said. "That's a pretty good benefit for us." 

 

Other Stuff You Need To Know

  • If you're going to cut down a tree, John said, cut all of it down. A lot of people like to chop off the top half of a tree, which, in many cases, means the tree will die because it cannot regrow once it's been beheaded. Last year John had to take his saw into the forest and cut down a bunch of 3-foot tall trees left behind by half-choppers...save the guy some work this year and leave behind a six-inch stump. 
     
  • The Nebraska National Forest's Chadron office (Pine Ridge district) .... it is located at 125 North Main Street and can be reached at 308-432-0300. It is open from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
     
  • You can also buy permits at the NNF's Halsey office (Bessey district), at 40637 River Loop Road. Permits are available for purchase between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. The Halsey office can be reached at 308-533-2257.

 

 

Lumberjack Photo Credit: Mike Mozart, Flickr Creative Commons

Ponderosa Pines Photo Credit: Jon Nelson, Flickr Creative Commons

Christmas Tree Photo Credit: Peter Dutton, Flickr Creative Commons

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