Tapping on US Gov US Forest Service Land

[Ahnohta]

How many of you are tapping on USFS land???

Do they let you use the land w/ an agreement on number of taps or number of acres???

Is it a verbal or written agreement/permission w/ the USFS???

Is there a fee and how much is the fee???


thanx in advance. There are several of us here in N Wisconsin sitting next to USFS land that has bunches of lonely Maples

[Dave Y]

I think you will find that Homestead Maple is the only one on here tapping USFS land. I am in a national forest also, but have had no luck gettting on to tap trees. I had a meeting with the ranger and he said he would get back to me.That was a year ago. I have since leased a 164 acre bush and have not persued it any further. I think it all depends on where you are.

[Maplewalnut]

Dave Y,

Good luck getting permission to tap Pa forests. DCNR has become only interested in managing forests for lumber production not recreation. Kill all the deer they're eating to many seedlings, no more motorized recreation (especially snowmobiling) they interfere with winter logging operations if dual use roads don't get plowed. Pretty soon the song birds will have to go because they crap on the branches!

[mapleman3]

I will be on State land this year.. had to submit a bid and contract, also they require the tubing taken down each year, as they say the "walkers and other users of the watershed don't like the sight" Gimme a break !!! but its a 3 year contract soooo.

[Sugar Daddy]

A couple of years ago I inquired with the USFS about tapping in the Nicolet National Forest. The response was that it is allowable, but regulated - much like collecting firewood or cutting Christmas trees on National Forest land.

A permit is involved, and the stipulations include collecting sap only for personal (not commercial) use, tapping up to 20 trees, and tapping only in an area designated by the Forest Service (since they manage forests for uses including lumber they don't want to see large saw logs "ruined" by the scars from tapping). The fee for the permit is based upon the number of taps.

Each national forest may have its own policies regarding sap collection, as the forests are all managed and guided by individual forest management plans. Maple sap is considered a Special Forest Product, and would be addressed under that section of a forest's plan.

Ahnohta - Since the Chequamegon and Nicolet are considered the same forest administratively, the policy is probably the same for the Chequamegon as the Nicolet. But the only way to know for sure is to ask at the local ranger station.

[Homestead Maple]

Ahnohta,
I will send you a copy of my permit with the USFS if you would like a copy to see whats involved or at least what I have to do for a permit here. I send a written request each year around the first of January for the number of taps I would like to do to the local ranger station and they send me a permit to fill out and sign along with a bill for the taps at 30 cents per tap. I have been tapping here for 10 years. I started with 300 taps and have added a few each year since. Other people on the trader have asked about USFS land and haven't always had the same responce as I have. I leave my lines up year round except for the second year that I tapped. I had to lay my lines on the ground at the end of the maple season that year because a study for Indiana bats was going to be done in that area. (I thought all the Indiana bats were in Indiana?) Any way, I've had a good relationship with the USFS here and there are other people in our area that tap on USFS land also. Send me your address and I send you some info.

[halfast tapper]

I have looked into it here in Vt. They are currently not issuing any more permits at this time. They have 6 people in vt that tap on USNFS land.

They are currently working on opening up new areas for tapping. They are looking at areas that historicly have been tapped in the past.

I know that in VT anyway , much of the NFS land they don't log anymore for environmental reasons, they want to make use of the land in other ways than butchering it for logs.

I will keep everyone posted on the progress here.

[MaplePancakeMan]

I submitted a request to tap the trees on the FDR estate here in Hyde Park, NY its State Land and in the original deed there is an agricultural stipulation from Elanor Roosevelt. Currently the just cut an roll hay and let it rot. I figured by tapping maple trees that would satisfy the agricultural stipulation. However, i didn't have so much luck. I got the runaround, before i talked to someone who said no (i'm pretty sure he really didn't know what he was talking about). I also think that they didn't take me seriously as i was 21. I'll still try again this year.

The roads are paved and plowed there and a rough count gave me 250-300 taps just off the road sides inside the property.

[peacemaker]

maplepancakeman i was under the understanding u could only tap roadside state trees ...in NY ..

[twigbender]

Here in the Chippewa in No. central Minnesota I tap USFS land and it's a pretty ho-hum ordeal. I just stop by the office, ask for a permit to tap their trees. I got a Forest Products Removal Permit for 100 taps and it cost me $20.00. It's good for two months. I can give anyone more details if they want them.

[mountainvan]

MPM you should check out mills mansion on your side of the river. big maples there.

[MaplePancakeMan]

Van, i counted roughly taps between the Vanderbilt Mansion, FDR and Elanor Roosevelts estate there were well over 2500 taps bettween the three and all huge trees with nice crowns and all along their paved roads inside the estates. It really bugs me that they just push any applications i put in aside. I'm not even greedy i think that the FDR should put a shack up and do it themselves so they can increase tourism during the down months.

Anyone got any links about tapping in NY on state land?

[jrthe3]

the thing remember her is that state land is not owned by the state it is owned by use taxe payer and that needs to be reminded once and awhile another thing to remember is that the squeeky wheel gets greese just keep asking every year

[ziggy]

Talk with your state maple association, they are working on getting it so we can tap on state lands.