As of the beginning of May, Central Oregonians are free to collect firewood for personal use on local U.S Forest Service land.

The Forest Service announced Friday that firewood collection in the Deschutes and Ochoco national forests, as well as the Crooked River National Grassland, begins on Tuesday. Firewood permits are for sale at Forest Service offices across Central Oregon, along with several businesses, as of Tuesday morning, according to a news release from the Forest Service.

Permits sell for $10 per cord, with a required minimum purchase of two cords. Each household may buy up to eight cords annually, according to the release.

Firewood cutters are required to bring a shovel, a fire extinguisher with at least an 8-ounce capacity, and have a chainsaw equipped with an approved spark-arrester when cutting wood, according to the release. It is prohibited to possess or remove trees cut illegally.

The Forest Service is asking visitors to use care to avoid getting stuck on snowed-in forest roads or causing extensive damage to the land and vegetation, according to the release. Restrictions on public use may be implemented during times of extreme fire danger.

The Prineville district of the Bureau of Land Management will be offering juniper woodcutting this year on 485 acres near the intersection of Millican Road and Reservoir Road. This unit will open on July 1, and run through November 30, according to the release.