By Hilary Markin, USFS
Fall is in full swing and the Carson National Forest would like to remind residents to get their fuelwood permits. To purchase a permit, customers may call any ranger district office. The fuelwood permit, tags, and current fuelwood guide will be mailed within 10 business days. Permits expire on Dec. 31, 2021.
These $20 fuelwood permits are good for up to 10 cords of dead-and-down wood and are valid on the entire forest, except in designated wilderness and restricted permit areas. For appropriate gathering locations, please refer to your fuelwood guide.
Here are the local ranger district offices to call (although any of the Carson National Forest district offices can issue permits): Questa Ranger District at (575) 586-0520, or the Carson National Forest Supervisor’s Office in Taos at (575) 758-6200. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to noon, and 1 pm to 4 pm. When you call, be prepared to provide your full name, ID number, mailing address, vehicle information, and a valid credit card number. The Carson National Forest asks that customers DO NOT leave credit card information on voicemail recordings.
If no one is available to take your call, please leave a voicemail and provide your name and a call-back number, and please allow up to 24 hours for our response. If you do not receive your permit within 10 business days after speaking with a representative, please call again.
“If you haven’t already gotten your fuelwood, now is a great time to get your permit and head out, before snowfall,” says James Duran, Forest Supervisor on the Carson National Forest. “We would like to remind everyone to put safety first when out on the National Forest. It’s a busy time of year with fall recreation and hunting seasons in full swing, so please plan accordingly.”
To reduce the risk of wildfire, please ensure that you are gathering fuelwood responsibly, including the use of spark arrestors for chainsaws, and checking current fire restrictions. To learn more about safety and visiting your national forest please visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/visit/know-before-you-go. More information about the Carson National Forest is available on the forest’s website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/Carson and on Facebook and Twitter.
