Firewood permits from the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit go on sale May 23.

They will be available at the Forest Supervisor’s Office at 35 College Drive in South Lake Tahoe on starting Monday and at the North Shore office at 855 Alder Ave. in Incline Village on May 25.  Permits cost $20 per cord, with a two-cord minimum and a limit of 10 cords per household.

Permits should be purchased early and wood collected promptly as fire restrictions are likely to go into effect early and there may be days when no cutting is allowed.

Permits have specific conditions and complete information is provided when the permit is issued.  Maps to designated cutting areas are provided and must be in the permit holder’s possession along with the valid permit.

The permit is for collection of “down-dead” wood up to a 30-inch maximum diameter in designated fuelwood areas within the Lake Tahoe Basin. “Down-dead” means the tree is down on the ground and dead, rather than dead and standing.