Placerville, CA…There are less than 300 Christmas tree tags remaining out of the 4,500 that were available through the Eldorado National Forest Christmas tree permit program this year. The Placerville Ranger Station has already run out. As of this morning, the Forest Supervisor’s office still had 175 tags; the Georgetown Ranger Station had 100 tags; and the Amador Ranger Station had 40 tags.

Local tree farms offer a similar experience and are listed on the El Dorado County Christmas Tree Growers website. Christmas tree permits and tree tags are also available on the Plumas, Lassen, Mendocino, Six Rivers, Shasta-Trinity, and Klamath National Forests.

A Christmas Tree Cutting Map will be provided to all permit holders and is required to be in the permittee’s possession when cutting in the Eldorado National Forest. This map indicates areas of the forest where cutting is permitted. Permit holders should only drive vehicles on National Forest System roads, or park vehicles within one car length from the road.

Please follow permit guidelines for responsible collection, including respecting private property and not trespassing when entering or leaving National Forest lands. Visitors should check for seasonal road closures and be prepared to walk into a cutting area to find a tree. No off-road vehicle travel is allowed.

For more information, visit the forest website at http://www.fs.usda.gov/eldorado .

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The U.S.D.A Forest Service is an equal opportunity employer. The mission of the Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.