Permits available for mushroom harvesting
SALMON, Idaho (KIFI) - The Salmon-Challis National Forest is expecting morel mushrooms this year in the Moose Fire area. Morel mushrooms often fruit prolifically in the years after an area has been burned by wildfire; however, the morel mushroom season varies depending on local weather conditions. The forest is expecting an increased number of people to come harvest morel mushrooms, including both commercial and personal use mushroom pickers.
Permits and information pertaining to mushroom harvesting will be available at our district offices in North Fork, Leadore and the Public Lands Center in Salmon.
The type of permit required varies based on the amount to be collected and whether the product is to be sold. Three types of permits will be available for the 2023 mushroom season, Personal Use-Free, Personal Use-Charge, and Commercial Use. Individuals may also harvest mushrooms at incidental use levels without a permit. See table on page two of this link.
Commercial mushroom permits will be available beginning May 1, 2023. The commercial mushroom season will be from May 1 to June 30, 2023. Commercial mushroom harvesting is only authorized in a designated area of the Moose fire. See map on page three of this link. Commercial permits are only available at the Public Lands Center in Salmon.
Camps for commercial harvesters have been designated to help reduce resource impacts and manage sanitation issues. Individuals that have a commercial mushroom permit may ONLY camp in the designated camps or on non-federal lands. There are two designated camps for commercial harvesters: Williams Summit and Five Corners, see on page three of this link. Sanitation services will be provided at the camp locations.
Personal Use permits are available now. Personal-use permits are available at our district offices in North Fork, Leadore and the Public Lands Center in Salmon. Commercial mushroom harvesting is not permitted on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands. Commercial and Personal Use permits are only valid on National Forest System lands.
Please stay on designated routes. Motor Vehicle Use maps (MVUMs) are available at the Public Lands Center in Salmon or the local Ranger District offices. MVUMs can also be downloaded from here. The MVUMs show designated routes for motorized recreation users. Please note there are several seasonal road designations in the permit area (see map). These roads are closed by gates and are only open to motorized use during certain portions of the year. This information can also be found on the MVUMs. Projected implementation dates for the various roads (see list below) are May 22 or as soon as road conditions allow gates to be safely accessed without road damage.
- Pine Creek Road #032 Gate
- Rapps Creek Road #330 Gate
- Stormy Peak Road #023 Gate
- Lost Princess Road #098 Gate
- Fenster Creek Road #127 Gate
- Bob Moore Road #128 Gate
- 170 Road #170 Gate
- Fan Gulch Road #183 Gate
- Lower Moose Creek Road #406 Gate
Seasonal route openings occur when protection for wildlife security and reproductive habitat, the provision for increased opportunities for hunting away from motorized access, the enhancement of non-vehicle recreational experiences, the protection of roads from vehicle damage during periods of the year when they are more easily damaged, and the need to increase public safety during periods of the year when some roads are more dangerous to drive on due to weather and road conditions are no longer needed.
The Forest would like to remind visitors, there may be hazards associated with traveling adjacent to and entering burned areas. Weather conditions such as precipitation and wind can rapidly change conditions on the ground. Wind can blow trees across roadways and precipitation can wash debris across roadways blocking access.
Additionally, please be aware some areas within the Moose Fire remain snow covered and inaccessible, especially at higher elevations. Be prepared for spring conditions. Varying temperatures and melting snow can create hazardous driving conditions and driving on saturated roads can cause long term damage to the road.
