Mushroom picking is free with personal-use limits in the Blue Mountains National Forests

JOHN DAY, PENDLETON, and BAKER CITY, Ore.-Personal-use mushroom picking is free and does not require a permit or payment under the legal limits, which authorizes an individual to harvest, possess, or transport less than a gallon in Oregon and less than five gallons in Washington. No commercial permits are available this year due to coronavirus

These free mushrooms are only available for personal consumption and cannot be sold, bartered, or given away.

Those seeking to pick more than the free personal-use limit are considered commercial gatherers.

At this time, all National Forest developed recreation sites – including campgrounds, trailhead facilities, picnic areas, rental cabins, Sno-Parks, and boat ramps – are temporarily closed to slow the spread of COVID-19. While many forest roads, trails, and areas remain open to the public, visitors are strongly urged to practice social distancing. Mushroom picking is not permitted in any botanical area, research area, or in other areas closed by the Forest Service, including developed recreation sites.

To help care for the land while picking mushrooms:

•    Carry your mushrooms in a net bag, allowing mushrooms to spread their spores for future production.

•    Give wild animals plenty of space, and leave newborns alone.

•    Practice "leave no trace" ethics, and take your trash home with you.

•   Report any violations promptly to the Forest Service.

Many forest roads are still not accessible due to mud and snow. Traveling on wet mountain roads and terrain can be dangerous and cause illegal resource damage. Further, temporary road and area closures may still be in effect in last year's wildfire areas where unsafe conditions, such as hazard trees, are still being mitigated. Contact your local Ranger District office for up-to-date information on road conditions and current closures.

Plan ahead, pack the "ten essentials," and travel with others (at a safe social distance). Be sure to tell a friend or family member where you are going and when you expect to return.

Keep in mind that many wild mushroom varieties are poisonous. When in doubt, just throw it out! It is the responsibility of the picker to properly identify a mushroom and determine whether it is edible.

Mushroom pickers and hunters often contact National Forest offices to learn where prescribed burning occurred last year. A study from the University of Montana found Morel mushrooms often grow in abundance after a forest fire. For everyone's convenience, the locations of prescribed burning in 2019 are now identified here: https://tinyurl.com/y8we6ntg for the Malheur, Umatilla, and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests.