MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. – Christmas tree permits will be available for purchase at Mendocino National Forest offices starting Tuesday, Nov. 1, and continuing until Friday, Dec. 23.

Permits sell for $10 each with a limit of one permit per household. The number of permits is limited and will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

Permits are good for this year only and trees can be cut and removed any day of the week through Dec. 24. All offices will be closed on Thanksgiving Day Nov. 24, but will be open on Friday, Nov. 25.

As part of the Every Kid in a Park initiative, all fourth graders are eligible for a free Christmas tree permit upon presenting a valid fourth grade pass. The pass allows free access to federal lands and waters across the country for a full year.

To obtain a free Christmas tree permit, the fourth grader must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and present their fourth grade pass or paper voucher. For more information about this initiative and how to obtain a fourth grade pass, please visit www.everykidinapark.gov .

Christmas tree permits will be available at the following locations.

Mendocino National Forest Supervisor's Office/Grindstone Ranger District Office
825 N. Humboldt Ave., Willows, CA 95988
530-934-3316
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Stonyford Work Center
5171 Stonyford-Elk Creek Road, Stonyford, CA, 95979
530-963-3128
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Covelo Ranger Station
78150 Covelo Road, Covelo, CA 95428
707-983-6118
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Upper Lake Ranger Station
10025 Elk Mountain Road, Upper Lake, CA 95485
707-275-2361
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., 1 to 4:30 p.m.

Paskenta Work Station
13280 Paskenta Road, Paskenta, CA 96074
530-833-5544
Hours: Saturday, Dec. 3, and Saturday, Dec. 10, ONLY, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Permits may also be available from the following vendors; please call ahead to check.

Sacramento River Discovery Center – Red Bluff
530-524-1196
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Hi-Way Grocery – Upper Lake
707- 275-2380
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

M&M Feed and Supply – Covelo
707-983-6273
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Keith’s Family Foods – Covelo
707-983-6633
Hours: Sunday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Individuals also may purchase a permit by mail. Mail-in requests received after Dec. 14 will not be filled. The mail order form is posted on the forest Web site, http://tinyurl.com/h8x4hwd .

Christmas tree cutting in the Mendocino National Forest is managed as a recreational experience. It is a chance to take the family out into the woods and cut a tree the old-fashioned way.

For more information, including tree cutting tips, please see the forest Web site http://tinyurl.com/h5o8h3h or call 530-934-3316.