OLYMPIA — Permit sales for harvesting salal in the Olympic National Forest will begin in September.
Permits will be issued from the Forks, Quinault and Quilcene offices starting at 9 a.m. Sept. 9. Each permit will cost $150 and can be used for up to two months.
Salal (Gaultheria shallon) is an understory shrub commonly used in the floral industry. It grows in dense thickets throughout western Washington and Oregon.
A maximum of 100 permits will be issued across the forest.
Fifty permits will be offered from the Quilcene office for harvest areas located within Mason County and the east side of Clallam and Jefferson counties.
Twenty-five permits will be offered from Forks for the west side of Clallam County.
Twenty-five permits will be offered from Quinault for harvest areas within Grays Harbor County and the west side of Jefferson County.
A lottery system will be used if the demand for permits exceeds the supply.
A valid federal or state picture identification will be required at the time of purchase. Those buying the permits must be at least 18 years of age. Cash or checks will be accepted, but there will be no credit card or debit card transactions.
The Quilcene office is at 295142 S. U.S. Highway 101. The phone number is 360-765-2200.
The Forks office is at 437 Tillicum Lane. The phone number is 360-374-6522.
The Quinault office is at 353 S. Shore Road.
The phone number is 360-288-2525.
To ensure the safety of everyone during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is expected that harvesters will maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from others who are not from the same household. They are advised to have masks available to wear when it is difficult to maintain social distance.
Masks will be required to enter any Forest Service office.
Future salal dates for this season are pending and dependent on the safe practices of all, the National Forest press release said.
For additional information about salal permit sales, contact Mark LaGioia at 360-765-2215.
For general information about Olympic National Forest, visit fs.fed.us/r6/olympic.
