BHNF announces Christmas tree tags available

Fourth-graders get free trees!

The Black Hills National Forest announced last week that they will continue the 4th Grade Free Christmas Tree Program again this holiday season. Christmas Tree tags are now on sale, and free to all 4th graders.  
According to a press release, fourth graders are eligible for a free Christmas tree permit through the Every Kid in a Park (“Every Kid”) Initiative. Every Kid is a nationwide call to action to build the next generation of conservationists. All fourth graders are eligible to receive a fourth grade pass that allows free access to federal lands and waters across the country for a full year. 
In order for students to receive a free Christmas tree permit, they must present a valid 4th grade pass or paper voucher printed from the Every Kid in a Park website:  https://everykidinapark.gov/. 
To obtain the voucher, visit the website, click on the “Get your pass” button and follow the instructions. Print out the paper voucher and bring it with you to a District Office or the Supervisor’s Office on the Black Hills National Forest.
Christmas Tree tags will be available November 15 – December 24, 2018 at Black Hills National Forest offices in western South Dakota and northeast Wyoming. They can be picked up in Weston County at the Hell Canyon Ranger District in Newcastle.
White spruce, ponderosa pine, and western juniper are available and can be cut in many parts of the National Forest. Each permit is accompanied by a handout with guidance about appropriate tree removal. Trees may not be cut in developed recreation sites, Forest Service administrative sites, active timber sales, the Black Hills Experimental Forest near Rochford, the Black Elk Wilderness, the Beaver Park area near Sturgis or within Spearfish Canyon.
Individual permits cost $10, up to a maximum of five permits is allowed per individual, and the maximum allowable height of cut trees is 20 feet. Permits require that you cut the entire tree, leaving no more than six inches of stump, and that you cut unused branches so they lay flat on the ground. 
The adhesive permit tag must be attached before a tree is removed from the cutting area; a citation can be issued for possession of a cut-but-untagged tree, even if a tag is available in person or in your vehicle.
Trees should be placed in water as soon as possible to help keep needles fresh. Once indoors, trees should be placed away from stoves, heaters, or heating ducts. 
After Christmas, used trees should be disposed of properly as yard waste. Do not dump used trees on national forest land.
There are no refunds for uncut trees or unused permits. Please note that Forest Service offices will be closed on Thanksgiving Day. 
Dec. 24 is the last day permits will be sold at Forest Service offices. Private vendors may sell tags until Dec. 24. 
Tags are available by mail from the Forest Supervisor’s Office, 1019 North 5th Street, Custer, SD, 57730. 
Enclose a check or money order in the amount of $10 for each tree permit, up to a maximum of five trees per individual as well as a self-addressed stamped envelope. 
The Forest Service will mail tags and cutting instructions.