EVERETT — Every year, thousands of families visit the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in search of the perfect Christmas tree.
As of Thursday, the forest service had sold 5,570 permits for U-cut trees on public land. Permits can be purchased through Jan. 6, so the number is expected to increase, spokeswoman Tracy O’Toole said.
General permits cost $10 each, and one tree is allowed per permit. The tree must be 12 feet or shorter to qualify for the $10 fee. If someone wants a tree taller than 12 feet, it costs $20 for a tall tree permit.
Since 2007, the forest service has sold more than 68,000 Christmas tree permits in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. The peak year was 2008, when 9,300 people bought permits. Numbers have been lower in recent years, with less than 7,000 permits sold each year since 2010. The lowest was in 2011, with 5,522 sales.
It adds up to between $50,000 and $100,000 each year, depending on how many permits are sold. About 80 percent of that stays in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, O’Toole said. The money goes toward trail maintenance, visitor information services and local forest programs. Recently, some of the money was used to plant about 10,000 noble firs.
The remaining 20 percent of the sales goes to the U.S. Treasury, O’Toole said.
Not everyone has to pay for a permit. The national Every Kid in a Park initiative, aimed at getting children outside on public land, provides free Christmas tree permits for all fourth-graders. The child needs a paper voucher, which can be printed from the Every Kid in a Park website at everykid inapark.gov. With voucher in hand, a tree permit can be claimed from any forest service office.
Spots where people with a permit can search for and cut down evergreens are in the eastern parts of Snohomish, Skagit, Whatcom, Pierce and King counties. Maps are available at forest offices where permits are sold. That includes the Darrington district office on Emens Avenue and the Skykomish office on Stevens Pass Highway. The Verlot Public Service Center on the Mountain Loop Highway is closed for the season.
Forest service officials remind people to be prepared when they venture into the forest this time of year. Warm clothing is essential, along with extra food and blankets. Drivers should have chains in their car and some roads may be impassable for smaller vehicles because of snow and ice.
Kari Bray: 425-339-3439; kbray@heraldnet.com.
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