Fourth-graders can get free Christmas trees from national forests

Fourth-grade students are eligible for a free Christmas tree permit from local national forests as part of an initiative to get children outdoors.

The Colville National Forest and Idaho Panhandle National Forests are participating in the program. The permits, which otherwise cost $5, are free as long as supplies last.

The Idaho Panhandle sells about 2,000 permits each year.

“We don’t typically run out, but with this initiative we could,” said Jason Kirchner, a spokesman for the Idaho Panhandle National Forests. “We’re not sure what the demand will be for the free permits.”

The Colville National Forest has never sold out of permits and doesn’t anticipate that it will, said Franklin Pemberton, the forest spokesman.

Cutting a fresh Christmas tree is a tradition for many local families, who head out to the forest the weekend after Thanksgiving. The lack of snow in the mountains means many Forest Service roads remain accessible, Kirchner said.

To get a free Christmas tree permit, students must present a valid paper voucher printed from the Every Kid in a Park website. The fourth-grader and an adult must present the voucher at a Forest Service office.

Every Kid in a Park is an initiative to inspire students to visit national parks, forests and other public lands. More than 80 percent of American families live in urban areas, and many lack easy access to outdoor recreation, according to the initiative.