Christmas tree hunt safety tips, as reporter finds out the hard way
By Tom Adams KVAL NewsLOWELL, Ore. - For a lot of folks, it's always a highlight of the holiday season Thousands of people are getting ready to hit the trail for that perfect Christmas tree. We sent KVAL's Tom Adams to the hills, with axe in hand. Hunting Grand and Noble Firs It's hunting season on the Middle Fork Ranger District. Not for deer, not for elk, but for noble firs and grand firs. "Often it may not be the perfect tree that you see at a tree lot or at a tree farm, but it's a natural tree," said John Poet, special forest products coordinator with the USDA Forest Service. Christmas tree permits are now for sale on the Willamette National Forest. At just $5 a piece, the permit program is one of the most popular on the forest. "On an average year, the Willamette forest is going to do somewhere in the neighborhood of 5,000 Christmas tree permits," says Poet. He thinks that number could climb this season with overall drier weather this fall. We're outside of Lowell and 4,000 feet in elevation, the prime zone for the best noble and grand firs. So here we go -- with cutting tool in hand--we find a nice 12-foot grand fir. When it comes right down to it, this is the ultimate Christmas tree farm. However, before you arrive here and start whacking away at any tree, there are some safety issues to keep in mind. Buy a permit from any of the many licensed retailers and Forest Service offices. | MORE Yes, they're annoying, but whistles can be a life-saver. Lane County Search & Rescue manager, John Miller, demonstrates a whistle with a built in compass on top...and it's loud. "If you've got a whistle, it can be heard three times farther than a human voice, so if you get separated by a tree or 2 or 3--stay put," says Miller. He adds your tree trip kit should also include extra food, a flashlight, a warm blanket and that important first aid box. Safety first--and experts say your Christmas tree excursion will be a memorable one. Those $5 Christmas tree permits are available at area Willamette National Forest district offices, including the Ranger office in Westfir that's home to the Middle Fork Ranger District. Rangers say after you cut the tree, attach the red permit tag to the tree. John Poet also cautions people to pay attention to the maps you are given with the permit, so that you don't accidentally cut a tree on private lands. |
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