Spruce up your holidays

Public forests are an important part of Alberta’s history and continue to have an vital role in our province’s culture.

The cutting of your own Christmas tree is part of an important way of life in Alberta and reminds us of family and the holiday season.

Last year, Alberta’s government unwrapped the red tape on Christmas trees, eliminating the $5 fee and standardizing the name of the permit for personal use tree cutting. As a result, we saw nearly 18,000 Alberta families cut their own Christmas trees from Crown land last year.

With the holidays right around the corner, we are looking forward to another spirit-filled season this year.

Get your permit today

You can get your permit online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Getting a Personal Use Forest Products Permit before harvesting Crown trees is the law. The trees are only for personal use, not for re-sale.

Personal Use Forest Products Permits help preserve our forests for generations to come by keeping a record of the number of trees potentially harvested from Crown land, outlining rules and providing advice to help the public harvest trees safely.

Harvesting Christmas trees in Alberta provincial parks and recreation areas is strictly prohibited and carries a large fine. The only exception is in a few designated areas with a valid, separate permit from Alberta Parks.

New interactive map

This year, we launched a new interactive map to make it even easier to know where you are allowed to cut your tree from Crown land.

You will want to consult this interactive tool before heading out to cut your tree.

Personal use tree cutting is only allowed in approved areas and is taken into account when Alberta authorizes the annual allowable cut for sustainable management of Alberta’s Crown forests.

The map will help you stay on track and ensure everyone has a good experience this holiday season.