DNR Firewood Program Allows Some Citizens to Cut Wood for Free

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A short supply of highly sought after firewood-cutting permits are currently available through the Department of Natural Resources. Those permits will allow recreational and personal use cutting on designated DNR lands around the state, including timberlands roughly 6 miles east of Lebam near historic Pluvius, and 20 miles east of Toutle near the Hoffstadt Creek Bridge.

The permits are issued through a simple online submission process — first-come first-serve. Previously, the DNR doled out the permits by telephone, but the department switched to the new system on Jan. 1, 2011, in order to keep up with high public demand.

“I’ve worked at DNR for 20 years and for that entire time we’ve had a free firewood permit program. It was just more formalized with the website,” said Steve Ogden, assistant region manager for the DNR. “Ultimately the reason we switched over to the website is it was just impossible to keep up with the phone calls. There's a lot of people out there looking for firewood and the supply was never able to keep up with demand.” 

Ogden says that demand still outstrips supply, but the online system has taken much of the paperwork burden off of DNR employees. In 2017, the Pacific Cascade region of the DNR, which includes about 445,000 acres in Lewis, Cowlitz, Pacific, Wahkiakum, Clark and Skamania counties, issued roughly 600 free firewood permits. 

“Generally speaking the main feedback that we get is that there’s just not enough permits,” said Ogden. “The reality is that for what we have available, the website seems to work pretty good.”

The free firewood permits come complete with a detailed map of the area where cutting is allowed. State law prohibits the cutting of standing timber, but permit holders are free to peruse the clearcuts and slash piles left behind by large-scale timber harvest operations.

“It’s not as much of a cleanup. We’re not using it as a tool to clean up forest debris. It’s more providing a service that’s available to the general public,” said Ogden. “It’s basically the slash piles left from harvest activities. It’s the residual logs and short pieces and stuff that wasn’t sent into mills.”



Ogden explained that when an area is opened, it is posted on the website until all available permits have been exhausted. The number of permits offered is based on an estimate of the quantity of firewood located in the permit area. Ogden noted that occasionally individual permit areas are opened a second time, if there is extra firewood left over. 

In addition to the rule against cutting standing timber, permit holders may not remove any cedar from the forest. The annual harvest limit is the equivalent of six chords of firewood annually, and the wood must be used for personal use. Resale is not allowed. Regulations also require vehicles to remain on designated roads and all ditches, roads and landings must be kept free of debris. The DNR also asks wood cutters to be careful around freshly planted seedlings and mechanical yardings is not permitted.

Ogden had a few more recommendations.

“The first thing is that gathering firewood on DNR land is a recreational activity so they would need a Discover Pass,” noted Ogden. He added, “Just generally watch out for heavy equipment and hauling and signs that are posted for any activity that we have out in the forest.”

To find out more information on the DNR free firewood permit program or to sign up for a permit go online to dnr.wa.gov/programs-and-services/product-sales-and-leasing/firewood. The DNR’s Pacific Cascade Region office is located at 601 Bond Road, Castle Rock and can be reached by phone at 360-577-2025.