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Any resident of British Columbia who is 19 years or older is allowed to cut their
own Christmas tree free of charge from Crown Lands with the permission of a Forest Officer. |
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Apply at your local
Forest District office or online. The Forest Officer may issue a
letter of authorization and will provide you with information, if
necessary, where you can cut a tree. Carry your Free Use Permit for
a Christmas tree with you, as you may be asked to produce it.
In the Sunshine
Coast Forest District, this letter of authority is provided on the
internet for you including the permission of a Forest Officer.
Please print this form, read the form carefully, place your
signature in the space titled 'PERMITTEE' thereby agreeing to abide
by the terms in this permit, then carry your Letter of Authority
with you when cutting your Christmas tree. You must be able to
produce your authorization upon the request of a Forest Officer, a
Forest Official, a Peace Officer or a Conservation Officer. The
penalties for not adhering to the Letter of Authority conditions
could include a fine or seizure of the tree.
Authority to cut
Christmas Trees for Personal use in the Sunshine Coast Forest
District:
Print & sign Christmas Tree permit
Christmas Tree Cutting Locations:
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You can only cut a tree from areas designated for this purpose. Refer to
above cutting Locations. These areas are, the Crown Land
portions of the following:
- Hydro right-of-way
(Crown-land portions only) except areas where Christmas trees
are being grown commercially.
- Logging roads (within
three metres - 10 feet -- of the edge of the road).
Cut your tree from
dry, rocky sites or south slopes within the permitted areas. They
produce better Christmas trees.
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Yes. You cannot cut a Christmas tree from:
- Private lands
- Plantations
- Research areas
- Parks
- Adjacent to rivers,
streams, lakes or swamps
- Juvenile-spaced areas
- Any other areas
reserved for a special use
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You are allowed to
cut only one tree per family. Cutting Christmas trees free of
charge is strictly for personal use. You are not allowed to sell
them. Failure to comply is an unauthorized harvest on Crown land
under
Forest Practices Code of BC Act. Unauthorized cutting may be
further subject to prosecution under the Criminal Code of Canada.
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Tree
Qualities: |
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Balsam; |
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Aromatic,
uniform, rich dark green colour. Tends to produce pitch, the
area under the tree should be covered. |
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Spruce; |
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Rich green
colour, uniform taper. Needles are pointed, good choice if
you want to stop a cat that likes to climb. |
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Lodgepole
pine; |
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Interesting
choice, can be uniform shape if grown in the open. Can
usually hang decorations near the main stem and still see
them. |
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Douglas fir; |
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Traditional
choice. Dry sites produce the best Christmas trees. |
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- Make sure that you
have chosen the best tree and the size you want.
- Try to leave the
bottom one or two branches on the stump of the tree, which may
grown into another Christmas tree for future cutting.
- Do not cut a big tree
only to use the top portion. This may be a waste of a future
tree and the portion left on the area may create a fire hazard.
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- Leave the area as
clean as possible.
- Do not leave lower
boles and branches of cut trees alongside roads or in ditches.
- Cut them close to the
ground and scatter.
- Do not transport your
tree outside the Province.
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- Be prepared for
winter conditions on roads. Many Forest Service Roads will have
heavy industrial traffic (logging trucks), even on weekends.
- If planning to cut
trees from BC Hydro easements, please read and honour the
following guidelines provided by BC Hydro for your safety and
environmental protection:
- Do not cut or remove any
trees that may be within 7 metres (20 feet) of an electrical
conductor. Take special care when travelling or cutting in the
vicinity of electrical works such as towers, poles, transformers and
guy wires. You are responsible for all damages.
- Cut all trees off flat with
the stump no higher than 4 inches (10 centimeters). Clean up and
remove all debris and slash associated with your activity.
- Leave all access roads in
good condition.
You are fully
responsible for yourself and anyone who is with you.
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Thank you for
your co-operation.
The staff and management at Sunshine Coast Forest District wish you
and your family a safe and joyous holiday season and a healthy and prosperous
New Year.
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