YOUR AMAZING $5 CHRISTMAS TREE
Your Quick Guide to Cutting a BLM Christmas Tree in Josephine County
As a realtor serving the Grants Pass and Cave Junction areas, I always enjoy highlighting how our incredible public lands contribute to wonderful holiday traditions. Once the Thanksgiving feast is winding down, our family heads out on Black Friday to find and cut our own Christmas tree on BLM land. Permits are available for only $5, and now is the perfect time to get your fresh tree! Here is the straightforward information you need on permits, planning, and execution.
Get Your Permit: Online BLM Purchase
Obtain your permit easily through the BLM Forest Products portal at https://forestproducts.blm.gov/. Select Oregon and the Grants Pass Field Office / Medford district. Once selected, choose the desired quantity (one tree per permit, with a maximum of five per household). You can then download your digital permit, which includes a load tag and map.
Use the BLM Map to Find Legal Cutting Spots
Your permit includes a detailed map marking areas for BLM and USFS cutting zones. Harvest only in these shaded yellow/green sections—avoid white no-harvest zones like the Wild and Scenic Rogue River corridor, Table Rocks, national monuments, campgrounds, or wilderness areas. Download the geolocated version via the free Avenza Maps app from the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest site to navigate spots near Illinois Valley or Applegate. Key rules: Trees under 12 feet; from dense stands (another tree within 12 feet); no cutting within 200 feet of highways, campgrounds, or private/fenced areas; stumps ≤12 inches high.
Plan and Prepare Safely
Review the BLM's checklist—measure your space and vehicle first. Check weather (mild and cloudy this week in Grants Pass) and roads via ODOT; pack chains for our winter backroads. Tell someone your plans, fuel up, and gear up with:
Food, water, blankets, warm layers (hat, gloves, boots).
Handsaw, measuring tape, tarp, rope, shovel, tow chain, first aid, flashlight. Start early to finish before dark; stick to established roads—no blocking gates or off-roading.
Cut and Transport
Punch the load tag for your date/time, affix it visibly (bag it against rain), and cut at ground level—scatter branches. Carry by trunk to save needles; secure inside or tarped outside. Drive defensively—share roads with log trucks.
Home Setup and Care
Cut 1 inch off the trunk, stand in water (check daily—it drinks a gallon!), and keep from heat sources. Use mini-LED lights (inspect wires); unplug when away. Dispose via local recycling—no burning.
I love this tradition! Questions? Hit me up for tips or real estate chats.
