Firewood Permits

Firewood Permit

Cutting Firewood for Personal Use: There are areas on Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area where firewood gathering for home use is allowed. These locations can change from year to year.

Firewood permits can be purchased by appointment only:

1. Email to request an appointment: yvonne.antes@usda.gov
2. You will need to bring with to your appointment:
   • Your Driver’s License
   • Description of the vehicle used to collect the firewood (make, model, year, color, and license plate number)

Firewood permit allows:

• Authorization for removal is for dead and downed trees only
• Firewood can be removed anywhere on Land Between the Lakes except in timber sale areas, designated recreation areas, cemeteries, or along major roads such as US68/KY80 and Woodlands Trace National Scenic Byway
• Users are encouraged to take advantage of easily accessible storm debris piles along roadways. A few prior timber sale areas may be open for firewood cutting. This will be specified in the permit.
• You may cut dead and downed trees to burn at your campsite in Land Between the Lakes. For this purpose, a firewood permit is not required.
• Various groups and individuals often approach the Forest Service with requests to use national forest lands for an array of diverse activities. In the interest of protecting our natural resources, the Forest Service must always determine whether the proposed use is compatible with its mission and values.

Quantity Limits:

• Firewood is measured in units of 100 cubic feet (1 CCF) of solid wood
• A cord is the amount of a lightly stacked pile, 4 feet wide x 4 feet high x 8 feet long
• 1 CCF = 1.28 cords
• Firewood permits are valid October 1 – September 30.

Rules:

• A permittee may NOT collect more than 1 CCF of wood under one firewood permit
• All firewood must be cut into pieces not exceeding 30 inches in length
• Firewood can only be collected in the areas identified on the map given with that permit
• NO firewood can be cut inside timber sale areas
• No firewood can be collected in campgrounds, cemeteries or along the trace and 68/80
• No standing trees are to be cut.
• Do not collect firewood within 10 feet of a stream channel, 25 feet of a wetland or spring, and 100 feet of vernal pools (critical amphibian habitat).

Safety:

1. Always wear your personal protection equipment including:
   • Leather gloves
   • Leg protection such as chaps
   • Hardhat
   • Nonskid leather boots
   • Long sleeved shirt
   • Eye Protection
   • Hearing Protection
2. Always have a lookout when cutting or running a chainsaw.
3. Always have a method of communication when running a saw.
4. Always have an escape route when cutting trees.
5. Make sure your area is free of obstructions, debris, or vegetation.
6. Pack a first aid kit.
7. Always have a place to keep you safe in the event a log rolls, kicks, or bucks.
8. Trucks may be overloaded when filled with wood. Check the owner’s manual for your vehicle to see what load weight the truck can safely haul.