The Brush Creek/Hayden Ranger District (BCH) in Saratoga is now issuing personal free-use firewood permits.
This program allows the public to gather firewood at specific sites on the Medicine Bow National Forest where beetle-killed and other hazard trees have been cut and stacked. Participation in the program does require a firewood permit and load tags.
The free-use permits are available through Dec. 31 or until supplies are exhausted. Users can obtain permits for up to 10 cords per household. These specific free-use permits can be obtained only through the Brush Creek/Hayden Ranger District. Other Medicine Bow National Forest Districts sell firewood permits at $10 per cord, with a minimum two-cord purchase ($20) per transaction.
Currently, Deep Creek Campground and the Brush Creek Visitor Center area are the only sites on the Brush Creek/Hayden District that have free-use firewood available. Maps and directions to the free-use firewood areas will be provided with the issued permits.
Public gathering of the wood helps to remove excessive amounts of dead trees from multiple sites and reduces public safety hazards. Firewood gatherers need to respect the rights of other forest users by not blocking roads, adhering to recreation area quiet times and not gathering wood within an occupied campsite.
BCH Ranger District visitors are encouraged to call the District Office at 307-326-5258 with questions or visit the District Office at 2171 Highway 130 in Saratoga between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Information about the BCH Ranger District may also be found at http://fs.usda.gov/mbr, or one can follow the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest and Thunder Basin National Grassland on Twitter, @MBRNFsTBNG.
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