Christmas tree permits return to Butte Meadows

Christmas tree permits stopped being offered in Butte Meadows in 2018 by Lassen National Forest, but now they have returned and are being sold by The Mercantile.

It's that time of year -- families are hanging their stocking and decking the halls... and one popular tradition in our area -- cutting down your own christmas tree!

Action news now's bryan ramsey shows us how butte meadows is offering up a chance to take part.

It's holiday season and a long-standing tradition in butte meadows has finally returned.

Mike maloney "for years and years and years this has just been a place that families have come for, you know, the tradition of getting christmas trees in the forest.

The forest service would actually sell permits down here at the forest service station and then about 2 years ago without any prior notice, they just stopped.

There was no notice to the community and, you know, as you might imagine when a family tradition is upended, there was a little bit of upheaval.

When we heard that things were going to be even more difficult this year.

The whole covid issue.

As a community we agreed that it would be important to at least attempt to convey a message to the forest service and to use our elected representatives to help us.

We've achieved a little bit of success with that.

So permits are available for the first time in many, many years here at the mercantile."

Bill kelso "this is the first time since we've owned the place in 14 years.

They used to do it at the bambi and the outpost.

Fortunately, with the new restrictions, they're letting us do it because their offices are shut down because of the covid.

We're just a sub-vender.

Basically to bring people into, you know, buy a candy bar or a soda or whatever.

We don't make anything on it.

We buy it for 10 dollars, or we sell them for 10 dollars.

We're just doing the footwork for them.

You can have up to two per individual address or household and we're open 9:00 to, i sell them 9:00 to 4:00 every day.

They come with a map of the lassen national forest that explains where you can cut, where you can't cut.

We've already done over 650 tickets the last 2 weeks out here.

Normally next week thanksgiving is the, you know, the first weekend or the big weekend."

Stacey kelso "that'll be winter fest.

We're starting to decorate now for kind of a winter village here for people do pictures and photo ops as they come in and get their tree so and we'll have a whole holiday menu with lots of fun treats and things for kids and adults and santa will be here."

Bill kelso "it's a service to the public."

Matthew jarvis "we came up here because we just have a 2-month- year-old son and so we thought we'd want to start starting family traditions and, you know, cutting down the christmas trees is one of them.

So we got grandpa in the truck with them and we're really excited to get out there and start a family tradition."

Now that the tradition of buying christmas tree permits is back in butte meadows.

People in the area tell me they hope it is here to stay.

Reporting in butte meadows, meteorologist bryan ramsey, action news now, coverage you can count on.

You can also request a mail in permit but the turnaround time takes several weeks.

The deadline to request a mail in permit, is december 4th.

Christmas tree permits are availble in chester, quincy and the mendocino