Personal Use Forest Products Permit

The Personal Use Forest Products Permit authorizes Albertans to cut up to 5 cubic meters (5 m³) of firewood. The number of trees cut depends on tree species and size and is approximately:

• 5 to 7 large coniferous trees (generally trees with needles), or
• 4 to 6 deciduous trees (generally trees with leaves), or
• 5 m³ is approximately 1.5 cords (approximately 3 level half-ton pickup truck boxes).

The Personal Use Forest Products Permit authorizes Albertans to cut up to 3 Christmas trees under 2.5 m (approximately 8 ft) in height and no more than 15 cm diameter at the stump.

Roundwood timber products refer to building logs, fence posts, pilings, poles, rails and similar products.

The Personal Use Forest Products Permit authorizes Albertans to cut up to 5 m³ of roundwood timber.

The Personal Use Forest Products Permit authorizes Albertans to transplant up to 20 trees less than 2.5 m (approximately 8 ft) in height.

For information on this area, contact the forest area office in Calgary at 403-297-8800.

• Calgary PUFPP areas overview
• Calgary PUFPP map – Highway 1, Ghost
• Calgary PUFPP map – Elbow, Turner Valley
• Calgary PUFPP map – North of Highway 3
• Calgary PUFPP map – South of Highway 3

Get your Christmas tree cutting permits from Alberta Parks for: 

• Castle Provincial Park
• Castle Wildland Provincial Park
• Cypress Hills Provincial Park

There are no locations for PUFPP Tree Cutting Permits for this region.

Consult the PUFPP interactive map to determine which area is closest to your location.

For information on this area, contact the forest area office in Edson at 780-723-8269.

• Edson PUFPP areas overview
• Edson PUFPP map – Chip Lake
• Edson PUFPP map – Edson
• Edson PUFPP map – Grande Cache
• Edson PUFPP map – Hinton

For information on this area, contact the forest area office in Fort McMurray at 780-743-7125.

• Fort McMurray PUFPP areas overview
• Fort McMurray PUFPP map – East of Fort McMurray
• Fort McMurray PUFPP map – West of Fort McMurray
• Fort McMurray PUFPP map – Gardiner Lake
• Fort McMurray PUFPP map – North of Lake Athabasca
• Fort McMurray PUFPP map – South of Lake Athabasca

For information on this area, contact the forest area office in Grande Prairie at 780-538-8080.

• Grande Prairie PUFPP areas overview
• Grande Prairie PUFPP map – Northeast of Grande Prairie
• Grande Prairie PUFPP map – Northwest of Grande Prairie
• Grande Prairie PUFPP map – East of Highway 40
• Grande Prairie PUFPP map – West of Highway 40

For information on this area, contact the forest area office in High Level at 780-841-0132.

• High Level PUFPP areas overview
• High Level PUFPP map – Caribou Mountains
• High Level PUFPP map – East of Fort Vermillion
• High Level PUFPP map – La Crete
• High Level PUFPP map – North of High Level
• High Level PUFPP map – Rainbow Lake
• High Level PUFPP map – Zama City

For information on this area, contact the forest area office in Lac La Biche at 780-623-5388.

• Lac La Biche PUFPP areas overview
• Lac La Biche PUFPP map – Bohn Lake
• Lac La Biche PUFPP map – Calling Lake
• Lac La Biche PUFPP map – Fishing Lake
• Lac La Biche PUFPP map – House River
• Lac La Biche PUFPP map – Lac La Biche surrounding

For information on this area, contact the forest area office in Peace River at 780-624-6190.

• Peace River PUFPP areas overview
• Peace River PUFPP map – Chinchaga Wildland Park
• Peace River PUFPP map – North of Manning
• Peace River PUFPP map – Peace River
• Peace River PUFPP map – Worsley

For information on this area, contact the forest area office in Rocky Mountain House at 403-845-8250.

• Rocky Mountain House PUFPP areas overview
• Rocky Mountain House PUFPP map – East White Goat Wilderness Area
• Rocky Mountain House PUFPP map – North of Nordegg
• Rocky Mountain House PUFPP map – South of Lodgepole
• Rocky Mountain House PUFPP map – West Highway 22

For information on this area, contact the forest area office in Slave Lake at 780-849-7377.

• Slave Lake PUFPP areas overview
• Slave Lake PUFPP map – Chipweyan Lake
• Slave Lake PUFPP map – East of Slave Lake
• Slave Lake PUFPP map – High Prairie
• Slave Lake PUFPP map – Loon Lake

For information on this area, contact the forest area office in Whitecourt at 780-778-7153.

• Whitecourt PUFPP areas overview
• Whitecourt PUFPP map – Crooked Lake
• Whitecourt PUFPP map – Fox Creek
• Whitecourt PUFPP map – North of Fort Assiniboine
• Whitecourt PUFPP map – Whitecourt

In addition to the restrictions listed on the Personal Use Forest Products Permit terms and conditions tree cutting for personal use is not allowed:

• outside of forest areas
• in provincial Parks or Provincial Recreation Areas (except for designated Provincial Park areas)
• in National Parks

You can get a Personal Use Forest Products Permit on someone else's behalf. However, they must be present and in possession of the Personal Use Forest Products Permit when the trees associated with that permit are being harvested.

Public land use zones in Alberta have varying conditions, including restrictions on use of Off-Highway Vehicles use and access times. Be sure to contact your local Forest area office to ensure you have the most up-to-date information before accessing the public land use zones for firewood.

A Personal Use Forest Products Permit may be used on agricultural public land within a forest area. If you wish to use your Personal Use Forest Products Permit on an agricultural disposition such as a grazing lease, you must contact the lease holder first to give them notice. 

For more information, visit Recreation on agricultural public land or contact your local ministry office.

Transporting any firewood or timber harvested from public land to destinations outside Alberta requires an export permit from Forestry and Parks.

The Personal Use Forest Products Permit authorizes the permit holder to harvest alive and/or dead trees for firewood.

To collect deadfall for firewood-use onsite, you do not need a Personal Use Forest Products Permit. If you plan to transport the firewood such as taking it home, you will require a Personal Use Forest Products Permit.

Do not transport trees with signs of insects or disease. Insects can emerge from wood piles and infest healthy trees nearby.