Oregon
$5 Christmas tree permits for Oregon’s national forests on sale now
The holiday season is right around the corner, which means the hunt for the perfect Christmas tree is on.
For those looking to bring home a real tree at an unbeatable price, $5 permits are now available for all Oregon national forests.
Christmas tree permits are available for purchase online at recreation.gov. On the website, just search for the name of the national forest, like Willamette National Forest, and “Christmas tree permit.”
Permits are $5 each (with an added $2.50 processing fee charged by the website). Each permit allows the cutting of one Christmas tree. Households can purchase a maximum of five permits.
Some local businesses and some but not all U.S. Forest Service offices will also sell the permits in person.
Where should you go to get a Christmas from a national forest in Oregon?
The closest national forests depend on your location. For Salem or Eugene, you could head east to Willamette National Forest or west to Siuslaw National Forest. If you’re coming from Portland, the closest option is probably Mount Hood National Forest.
There are Christmas tree hunting maps open to download when you get a permit on Recreation.gov.
Things to know during your Christmas tree hunt
Here are some things to remember for a successful Christmas tree hunt.
Remember the rules: Each national forest has specific guidelines on which trees can be cut down and taken, so be sure to check out the forest’s rules online before cutting your tree.
In general:
- Do not cut on private land, wilderness areas, research natural areas, scenic areas, or areas with rare, threatened or endangered plants.
- Do not cut trees within 300 feet of campgrounds or administrative sites.
- Do not cut trees within 50 feet of trails and paved roads.
- Do not cut trees within 200 feet of highways.
- Do not cut trees within 100 feet of streams or lakes.
Know the size of the tree you can cut: Each forest has limitations on the size of the tree you can cut and the species of trees that are permitted.
In general:
- Tree height: 15 feet maximum
- Stump height: 6 inches maximum
- Take the whole tree. Do not remove the top of the tree; cut down the entire tree
- If snow is on the ground, remove it from around the stump so you can accurately measure the stump and tree height.
- Do not cut the following tree species: whitebark pine, Pacific yew, western white pine.
Prepare for the weather: Be sure to dress appropriately as you’ll be hunting in the forest. Snow and ice conditions can also make traveling on the forest roads very dangerous. Make sure your vehicle is equipped to handle road conditions.
Know what tree you want: Noble, Pacific silver, Douglas and grand firs are typically the varieties you’re allowed to harvest and are best for a tree, so you want to be able to identify the trees. Many of the most sought-after firs only grow above 3,500 feet in Oregon.
Sno-park permits: If you’re headed to the higher mountains and snow, you’ll need a permit if you park at a sno-park, which are plowed and feature marked routes out into the forest.
When you get home
After you find your perfect tree, keep your tree fresh and safe with these reminders.
Cut and water your tree: Once you get your tree home, cut half an inch off the stump to help with water uptake, and make sure to water your tree daily. Well-watered trees keep their scent longer.
Get the right tree stand: Use a sturdy tree stand that holds at least 1 gallon of water. Make sure you refill the container daily, as an average tree may consume 1 to 4 quarts of water daily.
Place your tree away from heat sources: Do not place your Christmas tree within 3 feet of any heat source, like a radiator. Live tree fires outnumber artificial tree fires by 3-1.
Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 18 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on X at @ZachsORoutdoors and BlueSky at oregonoutdoors.bsky.social
Federal agents are responding after explosives were found in a vehicle that crashed into the front entrance of an Oregon athletic club Saturday, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said. A person was found dead inside the vehicle.
Portland Fire and Rescue responded to a report of a vehicle driving into the club’s front entrance at 2:49 a.m. local time, according to a news release from the department.
The vehicle caught fire after the crash, the department said. Once the blaze was brought under control, law enforcement found the deceased person inside. The Portland Police Department’s Explosive Disposal Unit responded after evidence of an explosive device was found in the vehicle.
The person has not been identified, and an investigation is ongoing, police said.
The club said in a statement that the facility will remain closed until further notice and that they are expecting a prolonged closure.
“Our team is cooperating fully with the Portland Police Bureau and Portland Fire & Rescue, who are leading the investigation. Out of respect for that process, we will defer to them for additional details,” the statement said.
This is a developing news story. Please check back for updates.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — An Oregon woman will spend the rest of her life behind bars for the murder of her ex.
A Coos County jury convicted 46-year-old Reina Jackson of second-degree murder this week following a three-week trial for the death of her former husband in 2021.
“Dr. Craig Jackson served his country, built a career dedicated to caring for people, and was building a new life for himself and his daughter,” said Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield.
“What happened to him was brutal and calculated. His family deserved justice, and the sentence reflects the gravity of what was done.”
Dr. Craig Jackson, Reina’s ex-husband and a physician at Bay Clinic in Coos Bay, was shot and killed in his home in North Bend on Aug. 2, 2021. The couple recently had a contentious divorce and Dr. Jackson was granted full custody of their daughter.
Evidence submitted by the state at trial suggested that Reina conspired with two others to carry out the attack. According to a memo from prosecutors, Reina broke into her ex’s home with two others in the middle of the night and fought with him in his bedroom. She shot him in his rectum and then through his head.
His new wife, who had been lying in bed with him when Reina and the others entered, said she quickly rolled off the bed and hid underneath it. When she believed it was safe, she came and found her husband shot and lying in the hallway.
Police later found a hand-drawn map of Dr. Jackson’s home in Reina’s vehicle and DNA evidence of two unknown men who are believed to have accompanied her. She was also on probation for previously breaking into his home and assaulting him.
Just before Reina was arrested, she withdrew her daughter from school and fled to Guatemala. She was later arrested in Atlanta after returning to the U.S. on June 10, 2023.
According to court documents obtained by KOIN 6 News, Dr. Jackson’s family believes Reina forged a check in his name for $40,000 and used the money to purchase land for herself in Guatemala. The check posted a few days after his death.
Reina was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole for at least 25 years.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — Average gas prices have gone up nearly 20 cents a gallon in Oregon and Washington in the past week as tensions in the Middle East continue.
Washington state has the third most expensive gas in the country at an average of $5.57 a gallon for regular, followed by Oregon at fourth in the U.S. with roughly $5.15 per gallon for regular.
The average price for regular in the U.S. is $4.30 a gallon. AAA says the price of oil has surged to more than $100 a barrel, with no indication of when the Strait of Hormuz will be back open.
National Gas Price Comparison for 2023-26 as of April 30, 2026 – Graphic courtesy AAA
A poll found that half of all Americans expect gas prices to rise even higher in the next year.
That same poll from ABC and Ipsos said some Americans are changing their behaviors because of the higher gas prices.
About 4 in 10 people are driving less (44%) or have cut back on other household expenses (42%) to compensate.
More than a third have changed their travel or vacation plans, the poll said, and about 15% of people said they’ve considered buying an electric vehicle.
Pump prices are now the highest they’ve been during this time of year since 2022, when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine pushed crude oil prices above $100 per barrel.
The poll found that about a quarter (23%) of all Americans are falling behind financially, which is up from 17%in February, before gas prices started to spike.
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About half of those who took the poll said they have just enough to maintain their standard of living, while 24% said they are getting ahead – down from 28% in February.
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