GLADSTONE — Holiday spirit is in the air and on ground at the Hiawatha National Forest. Permits are now available both for Christmas trees and commercial bough collection.

Christmas tree permits are available online through Recreation.gov at a cost of $5 per tree. Details about designated cutting areas, dates, and types of trees that may be cut is found at https://www.recreation.gov/tree-permits/d8173b88-ec5d-11ea-b83f-6e0e43d29f74.

Fourth graders with an Every Kid Outdoors pass are eligible for a free Christmas tree permit and can apply by entering the pass or voucher number when purchasing a permit (note: a $2.50 reservation fee will be applied). Kids of all ages can also download and color Christmas tree ornament coloring pages for a fun, handmade addition to their decorations.

Conifer bough permits are also available for purchase in Rapid River, Munising, and St. Ignace Monday through Friday. The cost is $30 per ton with a minimum purchase of two tons, totaling $60. Each permit holder will be designated a section for collection, and these areas will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis.

Permits holders are responsible for understanding all conditions of the permit, including the expiration date, the requirement to record collection dates, times, and amounts, and for following designated Forest Service roads while collecting boughs, as shown on the Motor Vehicle Use Maps. The following restrictions also apply:

– Do not cut down live trees to harvest boughs.

– Do not remove cedar or hemlock boughs.

– Gather boughs from trees that are greater than seven feet tall. Only branches from the lower 1/3 of the tree may be removed. Leave 1/3 to 1/2 of each branch in order to encourage regrowth. If all of a branch is removed, flush cut the branch close to the tree trunk.

– Bough gathering is prohibited within: 50 feet of the cleared edge of two-lane gravel or paved roads, 50 feet of designated hiking/ski trails, Developed recreation sites, Forest Service Administrative sites, Wild and Scenic River Corridors, Designated Wilderness Areas, Research Natural Areas, The Dukes Experimental Forest (Marquette County), Other areas designated as Closed on the map provided with the permit.

For more information on permits, please visit our website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/hiawatha/passes-permits/forestproducts or call the District Offices.