When it comes to finding the perfect Christmas tree, William Lyon is a true science.
Every year, Lyon downloads official maps of U.S. Forest Service roads — Apple and Google Maps never have them all — and consults satellite images to look for green forests that appear to be reasonably accessible and not burned by fire.
Then, after receiving one US Forest Service Christmas tree permitLyon and his wife Amelia hike into a national forest near their home in Missoula, Montana to find a wild evergreen.
After receiving a Christmas tree permit from the US Forest Service, William and Amelia Lyon hike into a national forest near their home to find a wild evergreen tree.
(William Lyons)
It's a tradition the Forest Service has promoted nationwide for decades – including in Northern and Central California. Forestry officials say it helps reduce the risk of wildfires, supports biodiversity and generates revenue. Every year, Americans cut down hundreds of thousands of Christmas trees – often for twenty dollars or less.
“They definitely help (the Forest Service) meet its forest management goals,” said Janelle Smith, public affairs specialist for the USFS and Recreation.gov. “Part of their forest management goals is that people care about these places and want to preserve them – that they have good experiences.”
Not only do tree permits send families on expeditions that connect them with local forests (and leave them with a festive keepsake that's guaranteed to leave needles all over the living room), they also recruit thousands of volunteers to help with much-needed forest thinning help.
In 2023, the Forest Service sold permits for more than 300,000 Christmas trees, Smith said. About three in 10 were sold to ranger stations across the country; The rest was purchased through Recovery.gova central location used by more than a dozen federal agencies, providing Americans easy access to public lands in the great outdoors.
Every year, Americans cut down a few hundred thousand Christmas trees – often for twenty dollars or less.
(William Lyons)
Each year, rangers in many of America's more than 150 national forests designate areas where Christmas trees may be collected. These regions are often in dense forest sections – sometimes along difficult, winding roads – where young conifers have taken over the forest floor.
The needy juveniles that dominate the forest can provide fuel for forest fires and often prevent the growth of other tree and plant species that are also staples of local wildlife. Flower species often fail to sprout because the young trees block sunlight, leaving little nectar for important pollinators.
“It is possible, if not likely, that removing some of these small young trees – the kind of trees we put in our homes as Christmas trees – will have significant benefits to forest health and wildlife,” he said James Johnstonan assistant professor at the University of Oregon who studies restoration forestry.
But with 300 billion trees in the country and the Forest Service planting millions each year, the few hundred thousand people cut down each year probably won't have much of an impact on the environment or wildfires overall, Johnston said.
“The greatest impact of Christmas tree harvesting on National Forest land is that it gives you the opportunity to get out in nature with friends and family and enjoy the beautiful scenery,” he said. “It's great for your physical and mental health – as long as you have some grace with your family members when tying the tree to the top of the car.”
The U.S. Capitol Christmas tree lighting ceremony in 2022.
(Ian Grob/USDA Forest Service)
Unfortunately for Southern Californians, neither the Angeles, Los Padres, Cleveland nor San Bernardino National Forests offer permits to cut down Christmas trees.
However, for those Angelenos who want a natural Christmas tree cutting experience, the Sequoia National Forest offers permits – Just don't accidentally cut a young giant sequoia.
The Christmas tree cutting program began in the 1950s when rangers noticed people sneaking into national forests and cutting down trees – sometimes even selling them to the public.
When illegal logging caused some areas to become too thin, the San Isabel National Forest in Colorado decided to formalize the process with permits. The practice spread across the country.
Today, Forest Service officials say the program offers a Christmas tree adventure like no other.
To prepare, the Forest Service asks participants to follow all safety guidelines Enjoy the National Forest System And cut down their own tree – Navigating icy roads and elevation changes, turning cell service on and off, and wielding a saw deep in the backcountry of the Department of Agriculture can be a little more strenuous than grabbing a plastic tree at Target.
While searching for trees, Smith observed many cars slipping and sliding on icy forestry roads. She once had to put her own Christmas tree search on hold to help pull a car out of a ditch.
Smith said permit holders should make sure they have tire chains if traveling in cold weather, equipment to secure the tree to their vehicle and, importantly, a saw.
“I read a story where … they hiked for an hour and a half and said, 'Okay, let's cut the tree down' – and no one had a saw,” Smith said with a laugh, recalling a (positive) day remembered. Check a remaining permit holder on Recreation.gov. “So they had to go back and start again.”
(Lyon admitted to making the same mistake a year ago, but luckily found an ax in the car with which he was able to cut down the tree the good old-fashioned way.)
“It's really funny sometimes and just always really touching when people comment on their first experiences of going out and cutting down a tree,” Smith said. “Because they discover something they didn’t know they could do. They got their family together and were able to go out and have this amazing experience.”
For Lyon, who often camps and hikes in the woods during the warmer months, it's a way to enjoy the nearby wilderness during the snowy season. The couple makes it a point to go a little further afield and explore new areas.
“My wife and I do it together every year,” he said. “She always likes to choose the perfect one, which we usually find a short hike away. It will end up being a fun day in the forest.”
The Forest Service says the connection people have with their forests while on the move is purely intentional.
“If you care about something, you want to care about that something,” Smith said. “If you go into your local forest – or public land, really – and connect with it in a way that creates lifelong memories, then that's a place you want to see protected. This is a place where you can take your children, grandchildren and friends across generations.”
In her early years with the Forest Service, Smith greeted permit holders in Colorado's Pike National Forest, along with Smokey the Bear, who handed candy canes to children. Now she takes her own child to her local national forest to experience the program.
“It has become a lifelong memory for us and a tradition that we truly cherish,” she said.