Permits & Tags
The Nevada Division of Forestry hosts permit and tag information for Christmas tree harvesting, critically endangered species, Yucca/Cactus harvesting, timberland conversion, logging, and wood cutting per Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS).
Christmas Tree Permits
According to NRS 527, Christmas trees harvested commercially from private lands in Nevada are a regulated commodity. Before a harvester can cut Christmas trees from private lands, they must obtain a permit from NDF. If a permit is granted, the harvester will also be charged a tagging fee and NDF will place the tags on the trees upon harvest and inspection. For more information on commercial harvesting permits, contact the Nevada Division of Forestry and ask to speak with a Resource Management Officer for your region.
- Western Region (Carson City, Churchill, Douglas, Lyon, Mineral, Pershing, Storey, and Washoe Counties): 775-849-2500
- Northern Region (Elko, Eureka, Lander, and White Pine Counties): 775-738-3454
- Southern Region (Esmeralda, Clark, Nye, and Lincoln Counties): 702-486-5123
- To harvest a tree on U.S. Forest Service property, visit recreation.gov, or call the ranger district for your location.
- To harvest a Christmas tree on Bureau of Land Management property, visit their forest and wood product permits page, or call the BLM district office for your location.
The Nevada Division of Forestry does not issue permits to harvest Christmas trees for personal use. Those can be purchased from the U.S. Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management.
Critically Endangered Species Permits
A species or subspecies of native flora shall be regarded as threatened with extinction when its existence is endangered and its survival requires assistance because of overexploitation, disease or other factors or because its habitat is threatened with destruction, drastic modification or severe curtailment. NDF is charged by NRS 527 with adding and removing species from the list of Critically Endangered species (NAC 527.010) and for managing the special take permitting process on all lands within Nevada.
The statutes require NDF to consider petitions to list or de-list any species. The statutes also require NDF to consider any applications to destroy Critically Endangered species or designated species habitat area and allows the agency to provide or deny a special permit for the destruction of any of the Critically Endangered species.
- Application for a Permit to Take Critically Endangered Species (PDF)
- Petition to List or De-List a Critically Endangered Species (PDF)
For more information, please call Nevada Division of Forestry at (775) 684-2500 and ask to speak with a Resource Management Officer in your NDF region.
Yucca/Cactus Harvesting Permits
All members of the Cactaceae family and Yucca genus, including Joshua trees, are protected species in Nevada (see NRS 527.060-527.120). Per statute, NDF regulates commercial shipping and harvest. These activities require a permit issued by NDF. Please complete the Desert Flora Harvest Permit Application if your planned removal meets the definition of Commercial Activities per NRS 527.070 (see below). In most cases property owners wanting to remove a few plants from their yard for non-commercial purposes don’t require shipping or harvest permits.
Commercial Activities
NDF regulates commercial shipping and harvest of cacti and yucca. Commercial is defined in NRS 527.070 as the removal or possession of:
- Six or more of such plants in any 1 calendar day;
- For example, if you harvested six Joshua trees in a single day.
- OR less than six of such plants each for 7 or more consecutive calendar days;
- For example, if you harvested one Joshua tree every day from Monday - Sunday.
- EXCEPT removal or possession of the plants for scientific or educational purposes with the permission of the owner of the plants.
- Permission from NDF must be obtained in these cases.
If your activities are commercial, as defined above, then an NDF shipping permit and harvest permit may be required. Read each section below to determine if you need to obtain NDF permits.
Shipping Permit
An NDF shipping permit is required to transport cacti and yucca possessed for commercial purposes in or out of the State of Nevada (NRS 527.080). Shipping permits are required to transport plants originating from all land ownership types in Nevada, including plants harvested from private, county, state, tribal, and federal lands, whenever they are moved from their parcel of origin. This permit is free and must be obtained at least 10 days prior to transport.
For more information, please call the Nevada Division of Forestry Las Vegas Office at (702) 486-5123 and ask to speak with the Southern Region Resource Management Officer or email ProtectedFlora@forestry.nv.gov.
Harvest Permit and Harvest Tags
An NDF harvest permit is required to commercially harvest (NRS 527.070) cacti and yucca from private, county, and state lands only. If a harvest permit is granted, the permittee must purchase accompanying harvest tags to be attached to each harvested plant. Harvest tags cost $2 each (one tag per plant) and cannot be reused. The harvest permit is free and must be obtained at least 10 days prior to harvest activities.
Harvest on Public Lands?
NDF does not regulate cacti and yucca harvest on federal lands. Harvesting any plants from public lands, including cacti, yucca, and Joshua trees, is illegal without a permit from the managing federal agency. Note that an NDF shipping permit is still required when commercially harvested cacti and yucca are transported away from their federal parcel of origin, in addition to a federally issued harvest permit.
For more information, please call the Nevada Division of Forestry Las Vegas Office at (702) 486-5123 and ask to speak with the Southern Region Resource Management Officer or email ProtectedFlora@forestry.nv.gov.
Timberland Conversion Certificates
NRS 528 requires that developers whom are interested in converting timberlands to any use other than the growing of timber, shall file an application and secure a timberland conversion certificate.
For more information, please call Nevada Division of Forestry at (775) 684-2500 and ask to speak with a Resource Management Officer in your NDF region.
Logging Permits
Logging operations occur when trees are commercially harvested by a timber owner or the agent of a timber owner by felling, skidding, forwarding or yarding, onsite processing and loading of trees or logs onto trucks. NRS 528 requires that prior to any logging or cutting operation, any timber owner or the agent of the timber owner shall secure a logging permit from the State Forester Firewarden. Logging permit application elements can be found in NRS 528, and can be submitted to the NDF Regional Resource Management Officer in the applicants’ NDF region.
For more information, please call Nevada Division of Forestry at (775) 684-2500 and ask to speak with a Resource Management Officer in your NDF region.
Wood Cutting Permits
The Nevada Division of Forestry issues permits for wood cutting and transportation of forest products from private lands in Nevada. Wood cutting permits on most of Nevada's public lands are issued by the US Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Please contact these agencies for permits on their jurisdiction.
