FINDING THE PERFECT TREE

Hunting season is officially over, but that didn't stop two Plains couples from taking to the woods in search of their quarry. Instead of rifles, they were armed with saws in a quest for the perfect Christmas tree.

Brad Stacey and his wife, Diana Reetz-Stacey, cut down an eight-foot Douglas fir about 12 miles northwest of Plains in the Sheep Gap area. The couple paired up in their search for a tree for the second consecutive year with Marc and Ellen Childress, who have been getting their tree in the woods for 43 years. The Stacey couple has been harvesting an evergreen for the holiday for more than 30 years.

"Some people start listening to Christmas music at Thanksgiving, but I don't start till the day we get our tree," said Reetz-Stacey. The two couples spent two hours on a Sunday afternoon looking for a tree. They looked at several during their near one and a half-mile trek. "You can't take the first one; it's not allowed," said Marc, who retired from the U.S. Forest Service after 37 years. "I like the smell of a fresh tree in the house," said Ellen, who added that they first put their six-foot Douglas fir outside in a bucket filled with water for a day or two before putting it in the house. "We used to get a spruce tree because they have sharp needles, so when our cats were kittens they wouldn't climb the trees," said Marc. Now, it doesn't matter what species of tree; he just looks for "something that's purdy," he said. 

"Finding and cutting a Lolo National Forest Christmas tree is a long-standing tradition and a wonderful way to spend time with family and friends on national forest lands," said Kate Jermyn, a Forest Service spokesperson in Missoula. Prior to the COVID pandemic, the Forest Service charged $5 for the tree permit, but this year, it's free if a person gets the permit in person and $2.50 for a transaction fee if done online at http://www.recreation.gov at the "Lolo National Christmas Tree Permits." Jermyn said that as of a week ago, more than 4,000 permits had been processed for the Lolo National Forest and that in Region 1 in Montana, the Forest Service gave out just over 29,500.

"The Christmas tree permitting process likely began shortly after the implementation of the National Forest Management Act of 1976 and has been in place for over 40 years," said Dave Wrobleski, the Plains/Thompson Falls District Ranger. The fee had been put in place to help support the administration of the program. "Fees for forest product permits, like Christmas trees and firewood, are expected to be reinstituted as the Forest Service moves out of COVID-19 protections," he added. 

The blank permits are located in a box outside the entrance to the Plains Ranger District. The recipient fills in the permit and carries it with him or her when retrieving a tree, said Bobbie Bennett, the district's air base manager, who is filling in at the reception desk. She said people often ask her directions to the best place to get a tree. "People need to be careful of a tree drying out because they are flammable. They need a lot of water, especially after they're cut," said Bennett. 

With the permit, the Forest Service provides a Christmas tree cutting guide, which tells where a tree can be taken along with guidelines on the cutting process. The Forest Service recommends taking a tree in overcrowded spots in an effort to reduce competition among other trees for sunlight and nutrients. A permit allows a person to take up to three trees. Stacy and Childress also grabbed small branches from fallen trees for boughs.

"Personally, our family has cut a tree for many years. We always choose subalpine fir because they are full, dark green, and smell great," said Wrobleski, who's been with the Forest Service for 22 years and was promoted to district ranger in April. "Sometimes we get stuck in the snow going up that high, so people need to be prepared. Our family likes the outing and wandering around in the snow trying to decide which tree is the best," he said. "Like with other things you do for yourself, when you put it up, it reminds you of where it came from also."

Permits are good for all National Forests in Montana. In a news release from Jermyn, she said that cutting a Christmas tree improves forest health and helps to thin densely populated stands of small-diameter trees. "Removing these trees in designated areas helps other trees grow larger and can open areas to provide forage for wildlife," she said. 

The Forest Service said cutters should not leave branches on the stump, which should be no more than five inches above ground. They should not cut off the tops of trees or take trees taller than 12 feet. In addition, they should not cut trees within 150 feet of creeks or streams. It is not allowed to cut trees from plantations or developed recreational areas, like campgrounds. A person cutting a tree without a permit could be fined up to $150, said Wrobleski.

"The national forests are owned by the people of the United States, the Forest Service simply does what we can to steward them for the public and attempt to be just or fair in using products from the forests for a huge variety of benefits - wood, water, wildlife, scenery, and more. I happy the public is able harvest a Christmas tree from their land, and I am also glad there are some guidelines to help people avoid damaging forest stands in the process," said Wrobleski.