Free permits. Fresh huckleberries. Late summer in Southwest Washington.
Some of life’s greatest joys are within reach. Huckleberry picking permits are now open for the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, according to a Friday morning news release.
Permits are required for any berry removal from the forest. The permits allow for up to one gallon of berries per permit per day and up to a total of three in a year. If frozen, that could provide one huckleberry pie per month for the rest of the year — or six months of really, really juicy pies.
Huckleberries may not be sold after collection with a free-use permit.
The only way to obtain a free berry permit is through an online application at https://gp.fs2c.usda.gov/gp/.
Pickers are asked to print their permit or save it on a mobile device along with conditions for use and a map of the locations open to free-use berry collection.
Huckleberries can be found throughout the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, but some areas are closed to huckleberry collection for personal and/or commercial use.
Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument is closed for berry removal, as are all designated “wilderness areas,” though berries may be picked and consumed in moderation while visitors are inside the wilderness areas.
Berries must not be removed from the “Handshake Agreement” area of Sawtooth Berry Fields. The northern portion of the Sawtooth Berry Fields is closed to all berry picking by the public. This area has been reserved for members of the Yakama Nation to gather their traditional foods since 1932.
Commercial use berry permits will be available for purchase on Aug. 14 at ranger district offices in Randle, Amboy, and Trout Lake through walk-up service windows. Visit the forest’s website for locations and hours of operation: www.fs.usda.gov/goto/gp/officehours.
Commercial berry permits:
• Cost $60 for 14 consecutive days and up to 40 gallons, or $105 and up to 70 gallons for the season.
• Do not allow for pickers to use rakes or mechanical devices.
Maps are issued with each permit indicating areas open or closed to commercial charge use permit collection. The map can also obtained for free by downloading the free Avenza maps app to a mobile device and uploading the Gifford Pinchot NF — Special Forest Products Map: https://store.avenza.com/products/gifford-pinchot-nf-special-forest-products-map-us-forest-service-pacific-northwest-region-waor-map.
Permittees may camp for up to 14 days, but not within any area closed to commercial charge use berry collection.
Commercial picking is not allowed in the Pole Patch Non-Commercial Harvesting Area in the Cowlitz Valley Ranger District. Under Washington State law, berry buyers and sellers must document their sales transactions. Violation of any regulation for berry permits is subject to a citation and fine. For more details, visit the forest’s permits page at www.fs.usda.gov/main/giffordpinchot/passes-permits/forestproducts.
All garbage and human waste are to be contained and removed from the Forest. Remember to pack out what you pack in to keep places healthy and accessible for other users. View our dispersed camping guidelines and rules to learn more: www.fs.usda.gov/goto/gp/dispersed.
Berry harvesters are asked to make sure their vehicles are not parked within the roadway. This can block access for other visitors and create safety hazards.
Some developed recreation sites charge a day use fee. A list of recreation sites at Gifford Pinchot National Forest that charge fees is available at www.fs.usda.gov/goto/gp/dayusefee.
Fire restrictions are in effect across the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire, campfire or charcoal fire is prohibited outside of designated developed campgrounds.
To learn more about those restrictions www.fs.usda.gov/main/giffordpinchot/fire.
