COEUR d'ALENE - Hunting for a wild Christmas tree is a Thanksgiving tradition for many families, and the Panhandle National Forest wants people to know permits are on sale now.

"The day after Thanksgiving and the day before Thanksgiving are usually our biggest days for Christmas tree permits," said Jason Kirchner, spokesman for the PNF. "We are closed on Thanksgiving Day, so if you are going out on that day you might want get one before that."

Fines for cutting a Christmas tree without a permit are $125 plus court cost.

The $5 tree tags are available at the PNF office and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management offices located at 3815 Schreiber Way, or the Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District's Fernan office located at 2502 E. Sherman Ave.

The Fernan District office will be opened for two Saturdays - Dec. 6, and Dec. 13, from 9 a.m. to noon. The office will sell only Christmas tree permits during the extended holiday hours. Fuel wood permits will not be available.

A family may purchase three tags maximum. The district does not accept debit or credit cards.

Kirchner said the holiday tradition is alive and well in North Idaho. He said when he worked in Arizona the Forest Service sold quite a few permits each year, but when he transferred to California they sold very few trees.

"Up here we sell hundreds if not thousands of them each year," across the entire Panhandle National Forest, he said.

According to Kirchner, Christmas tree tags can be used to cut trees on National Forest lands in North Idaho and Montana. They are also good on Bureau of Land Management lands administered by the Coeur d'Alene District Office, and by the Missoula, Butte and Dillon field offices in western Montana.

The PNF also offer a "permit by mail" system. Forms and instructions are located on the website. Simply print and complete the form on the Christmas tree permit website (see above for Web address), include a check or money order, and mail it. Tree tags will be mailed the next working day after application is received.

• Tree tips

The U.S. Forest service provided these rules for cutting Christmas trees:

• Know where you are! Call local agency offices to check current travel conditions before you go. Forest information and visitor maps are available at Forest Service and BLM offices. National Forest maps also are available online at: www.fs.fed.us/recreation/nationalforeststore.

• Cut your tree at least 200 feet from main roads, campgrounds, recreation sites, and the Deception Creek and Priest River Experimental Forests. No cutting is allowed within these areas or within Wilderness, Wilderness Study Areas, National Recreation Areas and recreation sites such as English Point in the Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District.

• Cut your tree at least 100 yards from streams.

• Select your tree from thickets or overstocked areas. Do not remove trees from active timber sale areas, plantations, or other sparsely stocked areas. Leave isolated trees and single growing trees.

• Cut only one tree per tag. Attach the fluorescent tree tag to your tree before putting it into your vehicle.

• Don't cut large trees just to get the top! Cut the stem below the lowest live limb or 8 inches above the ground, whichever is lower. Keep discarded tree limbs and tree sections clear of roads and ditches.

• On back roads, we encourage you to cut trees growing within the road prism (from the top of the cut bank to the bottom of the fill slope) of little-used roads. This helps to keep roads open and safe for travel.

• Be prepared for cold weather and snow! Dress warmly, carry extra food and hot drinks, and always let someone know your travel plans including destination and expected time of arrival back home. Start your tree hunting adventure early in the day while there's still plenty of daylight. Be sure to carry tire chains as most backcountry roads are not plowed. Cellphone coverage also is limited in many areas.