Mushrooms are free up to the legal limit, if you can find them
By Shannon Weidemann (McKone) on Monday, April 26th, 2021 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News More Top Stories
BAKER COUNTY – (Release from the Wallowa Whitman National Forest) As the snow recedes, friendly fungi are returning to the forest floor. If you know where to look, and what to look for, mushrooms are available to pick for personal consumption within the daily legal limits: one gallon in Oregon and five gallons in Washington.
No permit or payment is required to harvest, possess, or transport up to these legal limits, provided the mushrooms are not sold or traded but enjoyed by the picker. The 2021 Mushroom Guide is available in three different languages on each Forest’s website and includes important rules and helpful tips regarding harvesting mushrooms off National Forest lands.
Those seeking to harvest mushrooms beyond the legal limit, or for commercial purposes, will first need to obtain a commercial permit. Permit sales will begin Monday, April 26. Commercial pickers who plan to camp in the National Forest will also need an industrial camping permit. Please contact the nearest National Forest office to discuss your permit needs. Office contact information can be found on the lower-left sidebar of the websites below, which also include information about mushroom permits.
To help care for the land while picking mushrooms:
- Use a knife to cut your mushrooms at their base. This reduces disturbance to the soil and can help mushrooms to continue growing in that location.
- Carry your mushrooms in a net bag, which better preserves them and allows spores to spread for future production.
- Give wildlife plenty of space and leave newborns alone.
- Practice “leave no trace” ethics, and please take all your trash home with you.
- Remember that commercial mushroom picking is prohibited in wilderness areas, research areas, or any areas that are currently closed. Please report any violations promptly to the Forest Service.
Be aware that many forest roads are still not accessible due to mud and snow. Traveling on wet mountain roads and terrain can be dangerous. It can also cause resource damage, which can be illegal. Contact the nearest District Office for up-to-date information on road conditions and current closures.
To improve your personal safety in the woods, please plan ahead, pack the “Ten Essentials,” and travel with others. Also be sure to tell a friend or family member where you are going; stick to your plan and let them know when you will confirm your safe return.
Keep in mind that many wild mushroom varieties are poisonous. When in doubt, leave it out! It is the responsibility of the picker to properly identify a mushroom and determine whether it is edible. There are many guidebooks available to assist with identification. The local library, county agricultural extension office, and local mycological society are good sources of information.
Mushroom pickers often contact National Forest offices to learn where wildfires and prescribed burning have occurred in recent years. For everyone’s convenience, those locations are now identified in an interactive prescribed fire map for the Malheur, Umatilla, and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests. To locate recent wildfire activity, please refer to the National Interagency Fire Center’s interactive wildfire map. Recently burned areas present unique risks to visitors, including falling snags, hidden tree wells, and damaged or closed roads and trails. Please be aware and prepared.
Enjoy your National Forests and take care out there!
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