By Rebecca Robbins
The San Juan National Forest is selling permits for personal-use firewood cutting this season. As weather cools, more and more people are collecting firewood in preparation for winter. Purchase your permit and know the rules before you head into the woods.
Each permit costs $20 and allows firewood cutters to gather two and a half cords of dead and downed firewood from the San Juan National Forest for personal use prior to December 31. Each household may purchase additional permits for up to 10 cords of firewood per year for personal use.
A cord is the amount of tightly piled wood in a stack 4 feet high by 4 feet wide by 8 feet long. Firewood cutters are required to have their chain saw equipped with an approved spark arrester when cutting wood and it is recommended they carry an ax or shovel.
For additional information on wood cutting regulations, visit the Forest website.
Permits are available for purchase at the Pagosa Ranger District walk-up window located at 180 Pagosa St. The window is open 8am to 4pm Monday through Friday and is sometimes closed at lunch from noon until 1pm if short-staffed.
Plan ahead and contact your local ranger district prior to starting your trip. Fall conditions are variable and visitors should be prepared to encounter forest system roads that are impassable due to snow drifts, waterlogged roadbeds, downed trees or other debris. Visitors are asked to stay off wet roads and respect road closures, which will decrease long-term and costly damages to the roadway.
All offices on the San Juan National Forest are currently conducting business and providing services virtually. For information on the San Juan National Forest, call (970) 247-4874.
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