Matsutake Mushrooms

Our season for this delicacy is starting soon. I was shocked to find out one had to have a permit, and a pricey one at that, to hunt these mushrooms. Each picker must have a permit. The permits cost $35 for a five-day permit, $100 for a 30-day permit and $200 for the full season.The season runs from Sept. 7 until Nov. 7.

[Jenise]

Never heard of mushroom permits, Karen. Who does one buy these from? I don't recall a California Department of Fun and Funghi.

The forest service is comparing the permits to hunting permits.
The permits for the Matsutake mushrooms help U.S. Forest Service scientists track how many are picked on land it manages in the north state. The Medicine Lake Highlands , where they are hunted, are north and east of Mt. Shasta and stretch onto three national forests: the Klamath, Modoc and Shasta-Trinity. There are several ranger stations selling the permits. I wonder who is going to be out patrolling the forest for permits.

The forest service is comparing the permits to hunting permits.

That actually sounds fair to me, Karen. As a hunter who generally has to pay a fee or buy a special permit to hunt on public lands (and who provides a lot of funding for the management of those lands through those fees), it has always struck me as unfair that other citizens are able to pursue their non-hunting recreational pursuits for free on those same public lands.

The forest service is comparing the permits to hunting permits.

That actually sounds fair to me, Karen. As a hunter who generally has to pay a fee or buy a special permit to hunt on public lands (and who provides a lot of funding for the management of those lands through those fees), it has always struck me as unfair that other citizens are able to pursue their non-hunting recreational pursuits for free on those same public lands.

Good point Robert....I don't hunt nor does my husband, but we have a son who does, and he applies for a permit every year to hunt in this area, and it is done by lottery.

The forest service is comparing the permits to hunting permits.

That actually sounds fair to me, Karen. As a hunter who generally has to pay a fee or buy a special permit to hunt on public lands (and who provides a lot of funding for the management of those lands through those fees), it has always struck me as unfair that other citizens are able to pursue their non-hunting recreational pursuits for free on those same public lands.

That sounds fair to me, too, Buckhunter. Many of the mushroom foragers I know call their activity "mushroom hunters" anyway. As a fisherman, I have certainly paid my fair share of fees to various organizations, but as I see that activity is essential to maintaining a healthy and plentiful population of fish/deer/mushrooms.

Mark Lipton

It's a lot cheaper up here in Oregon and Washington - commercial permits are only $2.00 per day (minimum of ten days).

Also picking a gallon or less in Oregon requires no permit. It's three gallons in Washington.