United States Department of Agriculture

Flathead National Forest

Firewood

Cutting Guide

Forest Service March 2018

General Rules

Permit authorizes cutting of dead down trees as well as standing dead trees within the permitted area. Six feet is the maximum piece length that may be removed.

Do not cut or remove cedar or Pacific yew.

Do not cut or remove any trees or logs with signs, tags, or paint on them.

Do not cut or remove firewood from developed recreation sites, campgrounds, or wild and scenic river corridors.

Do not cut or remove firewood from active timber sale units or other areas designated (by maps or signs) as closed to firewood cutting.

Do not cut or remove firewood from within 150 feet of any running stream, pond, lake, marshy or wet area. If a tree is accidentally felled into a waterway, leave the entire tree.

Vehicles are restricted to roads. If winching, cable systems cannot be in excess of 100 feet.

During the Proclaimed Fire Season: a) Chainsaw operators must have a serviceable fire extinguisher and a shovel. b) Chainsaws must be equipped with an approved spark arrester screen. c) Vehicles must be equipped with a baffled muffler and serviceable tailpipe.

Flathead Specific Rules

Firewood cutting or removal is prohibited in the Coram Experimental Forest, and on or adjacent to the following roads: Westside Hungry Horse Reservoir Rd #895 from the intersection of Hwy 2 to Lid Creek Campground, Tally Lake Rd #913 (entire length), and Sheppard Creek Rd #113 from the junction of Rd #539 to the junction of Rd #5388.

Firewood cutting is prohibited within 300’ of any river, lake, or reservoir.

From 11/1 to 5/31 Larch Trees cannot be cut unless they are dead, with loose buckskin bark.

Flathead National Forest

Contact Information

Flathead National Forest Supervisor’s Office/

Tally Lake Ranger District

650 Wolfpack Way

Kalispell, Montana 59901

Phone (406) 758-5204

www.fs.usda.gov/flathead/

Swan Lake Ranger District

200 Ranger Station Road

Bigfork, MT 59911

Phone (406) 837-7500

Hungry Horse/Glacier View Ranger District

10 Hungry Horse Drive

PO Box 190340

Hungry Horse, MT 59919

Phone (406) 387-3800

Spotted Bear Ranger District

10 Hungry Horse Drive

PO Box 190340

Hungry Horse, MT 59919

Phone (406) 758-5376 (May 15 to Nov 15)

Phone (406) 387-3800 (Nov 16 to May 14)

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Publication No. R1-18-14

Permits, Fees, and

Requirements

The firewood permit season is

April 1 to March 31.

PERSONAL USE CHARGE PERMITS

are required for cutting and removal of firewood. Permits cost $5.00 per cord with a 4 cord ($20) minimum purchase. Limit of 12 cords per household per year.

COMMERCIAL FIREWOOD

Commercial quantities of firewood are typically sold as commercial timber sales. For more information about the availability of commercial firewood, please contact your local Flathead National Forest office.

CAMPWOOD

Gathering of campwood is allowed without a permit as long as the wood is burned at your camp. A permit is required to transport any unused firewood home.

8 ft.

4 ft.

4 ft.

One Cord

Vendors

Firewood permits are available at all

Flathead National Forest Offices and at the

retail vendors listed below:

Army Navy 6382 Hwy 93 South, Whitefish, MT (406) 863-1234

Mike’s Conoco 1645 Hwy 2 West, Columbia Falls, MT (406) 892-2269

Cenex Zip Trip 8840 Hwy 2 East, Hungry Horse, MT (406) 387-9041

Glacier Center 10049 Hwy 2 East, Coram, MT (406) 387-5090

Bear Track Travel Center 20958 Hwy 2 East, East Glacier, MT (406) 226-5504

Kelly Rae’s Conoco Hwy 2 West & Batavia Lane, Kalispell, MT (406) 752-5880

Snappy’s Sport Center 1400 Hwy 2 East, Kalispell, MT (406) 641-1050

Ferndale Market 1845 Hwy 209, Bigfork, MT (406) 837-5597

Swan Valley Connections 6887 Hwy 83, Condon, MT (406) 754-3137

Swan Valley Centre 6799 Hwy 83, Condon, MT (406) 754-2397

Sliters Ace Hardware 106 Stoner Loop, Lakeside, MT (406) 844-2442

Montana Power Products 35863 Round Butte Road, Ronan, MT (406) 676-5000

Ronan Sports and Western 63298 Hwy 93 South, Ronan, MT (406) 676-3701

Considerations

Please review this brochure and the conditions on the ba Flathead ck of youNar permtiitonal carefull yForest. Don’t forget to complete the Product Quantity Removal Record on your permit pr ior to leaving the cutting location.

Please obtain a current Forest Service Map to be sure that you are cutting on the National Forest and not private or state land. The maps will also identify roads open to motorized use.

Please avoid cutting wildlife trees. Standing dead trees (snags) are a source of food, nests, perches, and protective cover for many birds and mammals. These trees usually have the following characteristics: broken tops, visible nests, holes in the trunk, conks or swelling.

Cut safely, have someone watch and stop traffic when cutting near a road.

Best Trees for Firewood

Some wood burns hotter than others. Common types of trees in northwest Montana and their heat values in BTUs (British Thermal Units) are listed below.

Tree Species BTUs *

W. Larch (Tamarack) 22.3

Douglas-fir (Red Fir) 20.6

Lodgepole Pine 17.5

Ponderosa Pine 17.1

Grand Fir (White Fir)

Spruce 2016 16.7

15.0

Subalpine Fir 13.6

* Higher BTUs = more heat