Pertaining to harvesting mushrooms, berries,
greens, roots, seaweeds, fish, shellfish, and game in Alaska, British Columbia,
Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Northern California
 |
| Photo courtesy of pudgyindian2.blogspot.com |
This is only intended
to be a summary of harvesting rules for major jurisdictions (federal, state,
and provincial lands and waters). Please
follow the links that I provided to review the exact wording of the regulations. Smaller jurisdictions such as counties,
townships, municipalities, or district lands are (mostly) not included in this
guide but represent other potential foraging areas. Under no circumstances is it okay to harvest
on private lands without permission or on public land, when it is against the
rules. Where information is not provided
or is insufficient, calling or writing the regulatory office of the land
manager may be necessary. Please be
aware that every jurisdiction may have specially designated areas where all
foraging is prohibited, and that the protection status of some species changes
dramatically between state and federal jurisdictions. Before you harvest, you are responsible for
knowing the rules regulating every location and item that you intend to
collect. Regulations are listed from north (Alaska) to south (California)
Compiled by T. Abe Lloyd on
March 12, 2012
Alaska
-All State Lands:
Harvesting a small number of wild plants, mushrooms, berries, and other
plant materials (excluding seaweeds) for personal, non-commercial use is
generally allowed on all Alaska State Lands.
Commercial harvest of non-timber forest products is allowed by a
permit issued by the
Alaska Department
of Natural Resources, Division of Mining, Land & Water. You can purchase licenses to fish, collect
shellfish, seaweed, and hunt game
online.
-National Forests (US
Forest Service): In general harvesting “incidental amounts” of
mushrooms and berries for personal use is allowed without a permit in National
Forests. This is often limited to 1 gallon
of berries or mushrooms. Check your
specific National Forest for details (see below for links). In some cases, calling or visiting the
district headquarters may be necessary.
Harvesting from wilderness areas is prohibited.
Personal
and Subsistence Use: No permit is required for the personal and
subsistence harvest of mushrooms, bark, ferns, moss, berries, cones, herbs,
roots, and wildflowers.
Commercial
Use: A permit is required.
-National
Parks:
Denali: Gathering fruit, berries,
mushrooms, and other plan materials for subsistence uses is allowed in the
ANILCA additions to the Park and in the Preserve. No permit required.
Wrangell-St. Elias
National Park:
The collection or gathering of mushrooms for personal consumption is
limited to two 5-gallon containers of whole, fresh mushrooms per person per
day. Unclear on berry harvest
restrictions. See Superintendent’s
Compendium.
-National Wildlife Refuges:
According to Federal
Code, the noncommercial gathering by local rural residents of fruits,
berries, mushrooms, and other plant materials for subsistence uses, and the
noncommercial gathering of dead or downed timber for firewood, shall be allowed
without a permit. Hunting and fishing
are allowed in National Wildlife Refuges in accordance with federal and state
regulations.
-Bureau
of Land Management: ????
For information on rare and threatened plants, see the UAA Alaska Natural Heritage Program website.
British Columbia
-Maps: The iMapBC website
offers an online map of British Columbia with layers for administrative
boundaries for public lands and many other features relevant to foragers trying
to identify appropriate places to harvest.
-Provincial Forest Lands: Commercial and personal use harvesting of
mushrooms, berries, fern fiddleheads, and greens is freely allowed.
-Indian
Reserves: Mushroom and
berry picking requires permission.
-Tree
Farm Licences: Mushroom and berry picking requires permission.
-Regional
Parks: Mushroom and berry picking
requires permission.
-Leased
Crown Land, and Private Land: Mushroom and berry picking requires permission.
-National
Parks: Mushroom picking is not allowed.
-Defense
Lands: Mushroom picking is not allowed.
-Provincial Parks,
Ecological or Special Reserves, and Recreation Areas: Mushroom picking is not allowed. Hand-to-mouth picking of berries is
overlooked but no picking into containers.
-Provincial Tidelands: Seaweed
harvesting for personal, non-commercial use is freely allowed without a permit
on crown lands except specially managed areas such as Ecological Reserves,
Marine Reserves, Provincial Parks, and Federal Parks. Commercial harvest is allowed with a permit
and several special restrictions apply.
See
here for more details.
Licenses for fresh water fishing, trapping, and
hunting can be purchased from the
BC
Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations online.
Licenses for fishing in saltwater (including
crabs, shellfish, and more) and Salmon fishing in freshwater can be purchased
from the
Department of Fisheries and
Oceans online.
British Columbia
has a consolidated source of
information for edible mushroom harvesting.
Washington State
-Maps: The Washington
Department of Fish and Wildlife has an interactive mapping website called GoHunt,
which can be useful to foragers (including those that don’t hunt). Zoom into the area of interest, check
“WDFW/Public Lands” on the left hand sidebar, click on the “I” next to the
check box, and then select “Major Public Lands.” Using the identify tool (found in the upper
left hand mapping toolbar) click on a parcel of public land to identify who it
is managed by.
Many Counties
in Washington State have online plat maps for identifying private landowners.
-State Forests: The
non-commercial harvest of mushrooms, berries, fiddleheads, and other Special Forest
Products for personal consumption is allowed on lands managed by the
Washington Department of Natural Resources
(state forests). Limits include up to 5
gallons of mushrooms per person per year, and three gallons of a single species
of berry per person per year. Harvest
from DNR-managed campgrounds and picnic sites, Natural Area Preserves, and
Natural Resource Conservation Areas is prohibited. For details see the
DNR website.
-State Fish and Wildlife
Areas: A few
Wildlife
Areas managed by the
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
allow personal use mushroom and berry picking.
Check before you pick.
Any commercial collection on WDFW public land requires a permit from
the department (WAC 232-13-080). You
can purchase licenses to fish, collect shellfish, and hunt game
online.
-State Tidelands: Over
60% of Washington’s intertidal lands are owned privately. A Shellfish and Seaweed license is required
to harvest seaweed for personal (RCW 79.96.210) use for all persons over 15 years old. Up to 10 pounds per person may be
harvested. Seaweed harvest is open on
National Park beaches but closed on all State Park beaches except Fort Flagler,
Fort Ebey, and Fort Worden State Parks, where special conditions apply. All kelps must be cut 1' above the holdfast. For more information see
here.
-National Forests (US
Forest Service). In general harvesting “incidental amounts” of
mushrooms and berries for personal use is allowed without a permit. This is often limited to 1 gallon of berries
or mushrooms. Check your specific
National Forest for details (see below for links). In some cases, calling or visiting the
district headquarters may be necessary.
Harvesting from wilderness areas is prohibited.
Personal use: No permit is needed for "incidental"
amounts of some products, for personal use: such as up to 20 pounds (2 large
armloads) of greenery (boughs, ferns, salal, etc.); 8 gallons (1 bushel) or
less of cones, up to 60 mushrooms or 3 gallons (whichever is less volume) of
mushrooms or up to 3 gallons of Huckleberries.
Harvest of any Matsutake (Pine) mushrooms requires a commercial use
permit. If you are removing more than
“incidental amounts of a product for personal use, you must get a
"personal use" permit.
Commercial use: If you are
pursuing a commercial venture, you must obtain a "commercial use"
permit. Please check with the District Office nearest you for information on
where to obtain the permit you need.
Personal use: No permit is needed for up to three
gallons of berries in a year. But
these berries may not be sold or bartered.
A free use permit is required for harvesting mushrooms, conks, cones,
green, but these products must not be sold or bartered.
Commercial use: Commercial harvest of beargrass, berries, mushrooms, and Salal is
allowed with a permit. See the above
link for prices and restrictions.
Personal
use: Permits required. Special Forest Products permits are
available for harvesting non-timber vegetative materials including seeds,
roots, bark, berries, mosses, ferns, and edible mushrooms. Permits for predetermined personal use levels
are available free of charge. Contact
the nearest Forest
Service offices to check availability or for more information.
Personal use: A permit is required for personal use mushroom picking. Rates are $5 per day between April 15 - July
31, and $10/day between August 1 - December 31.
Commercial use: A permit is
required for commercial mushroom picking. Rates are $100 per season,
Spring or Fall.
Personal
use: No permit is required for personal use picking of mushrooms. Daily
limit per person is one gallon of a single species of mushrooms, and three
gallons of three separate species. There is also a state hauling limit per
vehicles of three gallons of a single species, and nine gallons of three
separate species.
Commercial
use: A permit is required for commercial mushroom picking. Rates are $50.00 for 14 days, $80.00 for 30
days, or $120.00 for a calendar year permit. Make an appointment to buy a
permit at your nearest district
office.
Foraging prohibited (as
of March 9, 2012)
-National
Parks:
North Cascades National
Park and Ross
Lake Recreation Area: Edible fruits,
nuts, and berries may be gathered by hand for personal use or consumption with
some restrictions. 1.1 quarts per person
per day. Mushroom collected is
prohibited. See Superintendent’s
Compendium for more details.
Mt. Rainier National Park: Edible fruits, nuts,
mushrooms, and berries may be gathered by hand for personal use or consumption
with some restrictions. 1 gallon per
person per day may be gathered. See Park Regulations
Compendium for more details.
Olympic National Park: Edible fruits, nuts, mushrooms, and berries may be gathered by hand
for personal use or consumption with some restrictions. 1 quart person per day with the exception of
cranberries, which have a special allowance and exotic species, which have no
restrictions. See link to the Superintendent’s
Compendium for details.
-National Wildlife Refuges: Generally, hunting and
fishing when done in accordance with State and Federal regulations is allowed
in National Wildlife refuges. The
harvesting of berries and mushrooms regulated by the specific wildlife refuge,
so ask before you pick.
-Bureau
of Land Management: ????
-Bellingham City Parks: “You are welcome to pick berries as long as
you are careful not to damage the plant life in the area that you are
picking.” Bellingham Parks and
Recreation, personal communication March 12, 2012.
-Whatcom County Parks: Fishing
and collecting shellfish are
allowed (with the appropriate State and Federal
licenses) in County Parks unless otherwise posted. 8,000 acres of Stewart, Lookout &
Anderson Mountains were
proposed with berry picking, and fishing included as
acceptable uses.
For more
information on mushroom collecting in Washington State,
click here.
Oregon State
-Maps: The Oregon Map website has online taxlot
base maps for the entire state of Oregon and is useful for identifying both
public and private landowners.
Many Counties
in Oregon have online plat maps for identifying private landowners.
-State Forests: The
harvest of mushrooms and berries is allowed on all lands managed by the
Oregon Department of Forestry up to 1
gallon of mushrooms per vehicle. More
information can be found
online.
-State Parks and Recreation
Areas: Oregon state law (Division 10: General Park
Rules,
736-010-0055 Cultural, Historic, Natural and Wildlife
Resources, section 5) dictates, “A person may gather for personal consumption
berries, fruits, mushrooms, or similar edibles.”
-State Wildlife Areas: A few
Wildlife Areas managed by the
Department
of Fish and Wildlife allow berry picking.
Check before you pick. You can
purchase licenses to fish, collect shellfish, and hunt game
online.
-State Tidelands: All
coastal lands between the vegetation line and the mean low water are part of
Oregon’s Ocean Shore Recreation Area (with some specially designated Marine
Reserves) and are thus held in trust for the public. Persons collecting less than 2,000 pounds of
kelp per year from submerged lands for personal consumption do not require a
lease from the Department of State Lands (ORS 274.865). For
more information see about seaweed harvest in Oregon click
here. For information about shellfish information go to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
website.
-National Forests (US
Forest Service): In general harvesting “incidental amounts” of
mushrooms and berries for personal use is allowed with a free permit. This is often limited to 1 gallon of berries
or mushrooms. Check your specific
National Forest for details (see below for links). In some cases, calling or visiting the
district headquarters may be necessary.
Harvesting from wilderness areas is prohibited.
Deschutes National Forest Permits required. A free permit is required for small
quantities of personal use products. For
large quantities and commercial use a minimum fee of $20 is required.
Malheur National Forest No permit
required for personal use collection of mushrooms (less than a gallon in OR and
3 gallons in WA). A minimum $20 permit
is required for commercial use.
Mt. Hood National Forest Small
amounts of berries and mushrooms may be harvested and eaten within the park
without a permit. Collecting greater
amounts for personal use and commercial harvesting require a permit.
Ochoco National Forest Permits required. A free use permit is available for small
quantities. A $20 (min) personal use
permit is required for large quantities.
A $20 (min) permit is available is required for products that will be
sold, bartered, or traded.
Umatilla National Forest No permit required for personal use
collection of mushrooms (less than a gallon in OR and 5 gallons in WA). A minimum $20 permit is required for
commercial use.
Umpqua National Forest Permits required. Free use and commercial use permits are
available at all forest offices.
Crooked River National Grassland Permits required.
For small quantities
of personal use products, permits may be free. For large quantities, or
commercial use, a fee is charged. When a fee is charged, there is a minimum fee
of $20.
Oregon Dunes National Recreation
Area (Can’t find any info)
-National
Parks:
Crater Lake National Park. Blueberries, Huckleberries,
Serviceberries, and Thimbleberries may be harvested in all areas of the
park. There is a possession limit of 1
quart per person and they must be consumed within the park. See Superintendent’s
Compendium for more details.
-National Wildlife Refuges: Generally, hunting and
fishing when done in accordance with State and Federal regulations is allowed in
National Wildlife refuges. The
harvesting of berries and mushrooms regulated by the specific wildlife refuge,
so ask before you pick.
-Bureau of Land Management: Collecting
berries and mushrooms for non-commercial personal use is allowed in areas not under
special conservation protection.
Salem District 5 gallons of each berry
species per person per year. 1 gallon of
mushrooms per person per day for a total of 5 gallons of each species per
person per year. Several
restrictions apply.
For information on rare and threatened
plants, see the Oregon Department of Agriculture Plant Division, Plant Conservation
website.
Idaho
Many Counties
in Idaho have online plat maps for identifying private landowners.
-Department
of Lands: ??
-State
Parks: ??
-Wildlife Management Areas: It is illegal to cut, dig, or remove any grasses, forbes, or trees from
Wildlife Management Areas managed by the
Department of Fish
and Wildlife. Berry picking is not
specified and mushroom picking is mentioned in at least one Wildlife management
area brochure. Be sure to ask. Licensed hunting and fishing are allowed in
most areas if done in accordance with state regulations. Contact the regional office for more
information.
-National Forests (US
Forest Service): In general harvesting “incidental amounts” of
mushrooms and berries for personal use is allowed without a permit in National
Forests. This is often limited to 1
gallon of berries or mushrooms. Check
your specific National Forest for details (see below for links). In some cases, calling or visiting the
district headquarters may be necessary.
Harvesting from wilderness areas is prohibited.
-National
Parks:
Craters of the Moon: Not specified.
-National Wildlife Refuges: Generally, hunting and
fishing when done in accordance with State and Federal regulations is allowed
in National Wildlife refuges. The
harvesting of berries and mushrooms regulated by the specific wildlife refuge,
so ask before you pick.
-Bureau
of Land Management: ????
For information on rare
and endangered plants and animals see the Idaho Governor’s Office of
Species Conservation website.
Northern California
Many Counties
in California have online plat maps for identifying private landowners.
-State Parks:
Harvesting of wild foods is
severely restricted in
California
State Parks, “
No person shall willfully or
negligently pick, dig up, cut… any tree or plant or portion thereof, including
but not limited… flowers, foliage, berries, fruit, grass… shrubs, cones, and
dead wood, except in specific units when authorization by the District
Superintendent or Deputy Director of Off-Highway Motor Vehicles to take
berries, or gather mushrooms, or gather pine cones, or collect driftwood is
posted at the headquarters of the unit to which the authorization applies.” Some parks do have special allowances, so be
sure to ask.
-State Forests:
Harvesting mushrooms requires a permit in the
Jackson Demonstration State Forest. No information could be found
on other lands managed by
the California
Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Call your local ranger station.
California Penal Code Section 384A states that all harvesting of vegetation on
state lands without a permit is illegal with stiff fines (up to 6 months in jail
or a $1000 fine).
-State Tidelands: The
State Lands Commission owns title to the intertidal and subtidal lands below
the mean high tide line. The personal
collection of marine aquatic plants, for which take is authorized is allowed
without a permit for up to a total of 10 pounds wet weight. Harvesting is prohibited in marine life
refuges, marine reserves, ecological reserves, national parks, and state
underwater parks. No eel grass (
Zostera sp.), surf grass (
Phyllospadix sp.), or sea palm (
Postelsia sp.) may be cut or
disturbed. Commercial harvest of seaweed
is allowed by permit and several additional regulations apply. For more information see
here.
-National Forests (US
Forest Service): In general harvesting “incidental amounts” of
mushrooms and berries for personal use is allowed without a permit in National
Forests. This is often limited to 1
gallon of berries or mushrooms. Check
your specific National Forest for details (see below for links). In some cases, calling or visiting the district
headquarters may be necessary.
Harvesting from wilderness areas is prohibited.
-National
Parks:
Redwood National Park: Fruits, nuts, and berries
can be gathered by hand for personal use and consumption with some
restrictions. All species of berries and
hazelnuts can be harvested with a limit of 1 gallon per person per day. Tanoak acorns can be harvested with a limit
of 10 gallons per person per day. See Superintendent’s
Compendium for more details.
Lava Beds National
Monument:
Fruits, nuts, and berries can be gathered by hand for personal use and
consumption up to 2 pounds per day.
Collection of mushrooms is prohibited.
See Superintendent’s
Compendium for more details.
Whiskeytown National
Recreation Area:
Fruits, nuts, and berries can be gathered by hand for personal use and
consumption with some restrictions. See Superintendent’s
Compendium for more details.
Lassen Volcanic National
Park: A
permit is required for the collection or consumption of any fruits, nuts, or
berries of locally grown plants in quantities greater than on pint with some
restrictions as to the species. See Superintendent’s Compendium
for more details.
Point Reyes National
Seashore:
The following fruits and mushrooms may be gathered by hand for personal
use or consumption: Blackberries, Raspberries, Thimbelberries, Salmonberries,
Huckleberries, or apples (up to 2 quarts per person per day). Mushrooms (up to 2 gallons and 1 mushroom per
adult per day). See Superintendent’s
Compendium for more details.
Yosemite National Park: The following fruits and
mushrooms may be gathered by hand for personal consumption up to 1 pint per
person per day for immediate consumption: Blackberries, Raspberries,
Elderberries, Strawberries, Thimbleberries, Huckleberries. Himalayan Blackberries can be gathered in
unlimited quantity. See Superintendent’s
Compendium for more details.
-National Wildlife Refuges: Generally, hunting and
fishing when done in accordance with State and Federal regulations is allowed
in National Wildlife refuges. The
harvesting of berries and mushrooms regulated by the specific wildlife refuge,
so ask before you pick.
-Bureau
of Land Management: ????
For information on
rare and threatened plants, see the California Department of Fish and Game’s
Rare Plant Program website.
