Christmas tree harvesting permits available through national forests, Bureau of Land Management

20251207-go-tree — ABOVE: New Mexicans can buy a permit to harvest a Christmas tree from any of the state’s five national forests, or from the Bureau of Land Management to harvest trees on public lands managed by that agency.

Cathy Cook Cathy Cook Cathy Cook Staff Writer

Published December 5, 2025 - 6:00 p.m. Modified December 5, 2025 - 6:00 p.m.

Where to buy a Christmas tree permit

Where to buy a

Christmas tree permit

Carson National Forest: Permits can be purchased at recreation.gov for $5-$15 depending on tree height, with a maximum of three permits per person.

Cibola National Forest: Permits range from $10-$15 depending on the tree height, with a maximum of two trees per household. Permits can be purchased at recreation.gov or in person at the Cibola Supervisor’s Office, or the Magdalena, Mountainair and Mt. Taylor Ranger District offices.

Gila National Forest: Permits cost $0-$5, depending on the tree species, at recreation.gov until Dec. 31 or in-person at any district office.

Lincoln National Forest: $10 permits can be purchased at recreation.gov until Dec. 31. Permits can be purchased at the district offices in Ruidoso and Cloudcroft, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Friday, until Dec. 24. Limit of one permit.

Santa Fe National Forest: Permits can be purchased at recreation.gov or in-person at all Santa Fe National Forest District Offices and the Supervisor’s Office. Pre-cut Christmas trees may be available for purchase at district offices. The permits are $10 for one tree up to 5 inches in diameter and 10 feet in height. Trees taller than 10 feet or wider than 5 inches require an additional tag. Maximum of three trees per household.

Bureau of Land Management: $1 permits may be available at the Rio Puerco, Farmington, Socorro and Taos field offices, as well as the New Mexico State Office, through Dec. 24. Permits can also be purchased online at forestproducts.blm.gov. Call field offices before visiting to buy a permit to ensure services are available. For more information on BLM Christmas tree sales, call the local BLM office or the BLM New Mexico State Office at 505-954-2222.

Online purchases from the Forest Service include a

$2.50 service fee.

Whether someone is searching for a little Charlie Brown fir or majestic spruce, a good Christmas tree is the one that’s perfect for their home and family, according to Zach Behrens, Carson National Forest spokesman.

It’s hard to say how long the tradition of driving up dirt roads and crunching through snow to chop down a Christmas tree in New Mexico’s national forests has been going on.

The U.S. Forest Service has had a formalized, permit-based system in place since at least the 1950s, though the tradition of harvesting Christmas trees from national forests goes back earlier, Behrens said.

The Bureau of Land Management has probably been selling Christmas tree permits since the 1947 Materials Sales Act, said BLM spokeswoman Allison Sandoval, when Congress gave the agency authority to do so.

Nationwide, the Forest Service sold 312,168 Christmas tree permits in 2024. Meanwhile, the BLM has sold an average of 536 trees annually in New Mexico over the past 10 years. So far this year, the BLM has made 182 online tree permit sales.

New Mexicans can buy a permit to harvest a Christmas tree from any of the state’s five national forests, or from the Bureau of Land Management to harvest trees on public lands managed by that agency.

On Friday the BLM announced the fee for a Christmas tree permit would drop to $1 through Dec. 24.

“Here in New Mexico, families rely on public lands for tradition, recreation, and essential resources,” said BLM New Mexico State Director Melanie Barnes. “These fee reductions and expanded access make it easier for people to gather firewood and Christmas trees close to home, all while helping us reduce hazardous fuels and improve forest health.”

Cutting a Christmas tree can improve forest health, according to a Carson National Forest news release, because the permit system helps thin densely populated stands of small trees. Removing those thin trees allows other trees to grow larger.

Restrictions on tree size and type vary by forest or public land. For example, the Carson National Forest doesn’t allow people to harvest bristlecone pines, because they’re rare and some of the oldest trees in the forest. Bristlecone pines are found on less than 5,000 acres of the forest’s east side above 10,500 feet. The pines are valued for their charismatic gnarled forms and longevity, according to Behrens.

Permit prices range from $0 to $15, depending on the size and species of the tree and the public land where the harvesting is done. The National Forest Service offers free permits for fourth graders with an Every Kid Outdoors pass. More information on that program can be found at everykidoutdoors.gov.

For the Forest Service, permits can be purchased online at recreation.gov or at some ranger district offices for the area where someone plans to cut their tree.

For the Bureau of Land Management, permits to harvest piñon or juniper trees can be purchased online for some locations at forestproducts.blm.gov or over the counter at local BLM offices.

The Forest Service advises measuring to know what size tree will fit at home or in a vehicle before heading to the woods, and being prepared for cold weather and spotty cell service with warm clothes, an emergency survival kit, food and water, a full tank of gas and a physical map.

Recommended tree harvesting tools include a measuring tape, a handsaw, gloves, boots, a tarp and ropes or straps to secure the tree for transport.