Nothing says "Christmas" like cutting down your own tree.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Carson City District is now offering permits for you to cut down a tree. But there are some places where you can't do it.
"They just can't be cutting any of those trees within wilderness areas or wilderness study areas," said Holley Kline, a Supervisory National Resource Specialist with BLM Carson City.
Kline says these areas don't have enough pine trees producing cones to make new trees. But you can cut down pinyon pine or juniper trees in the Clan Alpine and Desatoya Mountains east of Fallon, or in the Excelsior Mountains southwest of Hawthorne in Mineral County.
For one Reno resident, cutting his own tree is better than buying one.
"It beats the alternative - you go on a lot on the asphalt and find one, or you can go have some fun and make an afternoon out of it," said Nathan Goldtry.
Goldtry calls himself a "California transplant," even though he lived in Reno about 10 years ago. He said he cut down a couple of Christmas trees in northern Nevada before he moved to the Golden State.
"That's one of the great things about living here is they offer that, you know, even as a new resident," Goldtry said. "It's a fun thing to do in the holidays."
If you plan on yelling "timber" like Goldtry, BLM Carson City recommends preparing for the cold and staying safe.
"We typically recommend the basic warm clothing because it is cold out now," Kline said, "as well as your first aid kit in case anything goes wrong."
They also recommend a shovel in case you need to dig yourself out of the mud on the forest roads.
Even though you might not realize it, Christmas tree cutting actually helps the forest in case of a fire.
Kline said tree cutting "can lend itself to meeting some of our objectives for reducing fuel loading in those forested areas."
BLM Carson City is offering permits in-person at the following locations, as well as online:
BLM Carson City District Office
5665 Morgan Mill Rd.
Carson City, NV 89701
Mon. – Fri. 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., 775-885-6000
BLM-Nevada State Office-Reno
1340 Financial Blvd., Reno, NV 89520
Mon. – Fri. 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., 775-861-6500
Cal Ranch – Carson City
2035 N. Carson St., Carson City, NV 89706
Mon.-Sat., 8 a.m. – 9 p.m., Sun., 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
775-461-2213
Carson Valley Chamber of Commerce
1477 US Highway 395 North Suite A (inside museum building)
Gardnerville, NV 89410
Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.–4 p.m./Closed 12-1 p.m.,
775-782-8144
UNR Cooperative Extension Office-Fallon
111 Sheckler Rd., Fallon, NV
Mon.-Thursday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
775-423-5121
Middlegate Station
42500 Austin Highway (U.S. 50) - 48 miles east of Fallon
7 a.m. – 9 p.m., daily, 775-423-7134
Consolidated Agencies of Human Services-Hawthorne
924 5th St.
Hawthorne, NV 89415
Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., 775-945-2471
Cold Springs Station Resort
52300 Austin Highway (U.S. 50) – 62 miles east of Fallon
Mon. Thurs., Fri., & Sat. 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.Â
Sun. 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.Â
Closed on Tues. & Wed., 775-423-1233Â
BLM Carson City District Office
