October is prime fuelwood time in northern New Mexico. Nights are turning cold, hunting seasons keep the forest busy, and there is still time to put up a winter woodpile before snow makes back roads muddy or impassable. On the Carson National Forest, that work starts with a permit — and with knowing exactly what a dead and down fuelwood permit does and does not allow.
To cut and transport fuelwood, the Forest Service requires a signed original permit, the fuelwood removal tags issued with it, the current fuelwood guide, and a fuelwood product map. Permit holders need valid photo identification, and designated haulers need a valid state driver's license. The forest-wide limit is 20 cords of dead and down fuelwood per household, per calendar year, and the fuelwood season ends December 31 — so fall cutting days are valuable and finite.
The tags matter as much as the permit. Before any wood is transported, validate each tag by punching a hole through the month, day, and time of use, then attach it securely to the back of the load. Each tag covers a half cord or less, tag numbers must match the numbers printed on the permit, and a tag may not be used more than once. Loads and power saws are subject to inspection by forest officers.
Dead and down means exactly that. Live, green trees may not be cut under a dead and down permit; green wood may only be taken from designated green fuelwood cutting areas with a separate green fuelwood permit. Cutting dead limbs off a live tree is not allowed either — if a tree carries green leaves, buds, or needles anywhere, it is not dead. Material marked with paint, wood piled in logging decks, and snags in active timber sale areas are also off limits unless an area is specifically designated for fuelwood.
A few field rules protect the forest and other visitors. Cutting is not allowed within 100 feet of the centerline of any paved road, or in administrative sites, recreation sites, and trails unless designated as a fuelwood area. Travel only on roads shown as open on the Motor Vehicle Use Map, and use off-road travel only to access and load wood — never to scout for it. On wet, muddy days, stay off roads where driving would damage soils or the road surface. Every saw must carry a working spark arrester, and every load must be tied down and secured before traveling.
One wildlife rule deserves special attention: do not cut standing dead ponderosa pine larger than 16 inches in diameter at breast height. Those large snags shelter birds and mammals and give raptors a clear vantage point. A full cord, for reference, is 128 cubic feet of stacked wood, commonly a stack 4 feet wide, 4 feet high, and 8 feet long.
Questions about closures and restrictions go to the appropriate ranger district, and the Carson can be reached at 575-758-6200. With permit in hand, tags punched, and the map on the dash, a fall day in the Carson is one of the most practical — and satisfying — ways to get ready for winter.