News

No permit needed to gather free firewood in reopened parts of national forest

By Lightning Reports, Published: November 19, 2024

The U.S. Forest Service invites the public to gather firewood for personal use without a permit on reopened sections of the Pisgah National Forest from now through December 2025.

Several thousands of acres of the Pisgah National Forest were damaged during Hurricane Helene, leaving a significant amount of woody debris and downed trees in the aftermath and creating higher-than-usual level of fuel for wildfires. The public can help mitigate this risk by collecting downed wood to warm their homes during the winter.

Firewood can be gathered from along all open roads within a predetermined free-use area on any reopened portion of the Pisgah National Forest. Large portions of the Pisgah remain closed because of impacts from the storm, including the entire Appalachian Ranger Districts and portions of the Grandfather Ranger District.

Please contact the Pisgah ranger district — Transylvania, Buncombe and Haywood counties — at 828-877-3265 for more information on where firewood can be gathered. Anyone wishing to gather firewood is required to follow these rules:

• Do not attempted to gather firewood from closed portions of the National Forest.
• All motorized vehicles must stay on cleared roadways.
• Do not block traffic.
• Leave no trace—take all trash, litter and wood scraps with you.
• No on-site warming fires.
• No digging or picking of any plants is allowed.
• No collecting in an active logging area.
• Firewood collected is for personal use only and may not be sold or exchanged.