mits were $50. Season permits 

 were $100, In 1995, the 1994 

 Boundary Fire area was open 

 only to those holding commer- 

 cial permits. For some Forests, 

 the Forest Service has auc- 

 tioned picking rights to given 

 areas in a manner similar to 

 other forest product sales. 

 Such was the case in 1991 

 when the Sheep Mountain Fire 

 area was auctioned at the Mal- 

 heur National Forest. Also in 

 1991 at the Malheur, commer- 

 cial permits were sold for the 

 nonwilderness portion of the 

 Snowshoe Fire, that burned east and south of the Strawberry Wilderness. Cost was 

 $50 for a 10-day permit and $150 for the entire season. The wilderness portion of the 

 burn was open to personal use only. 



Figure 5 — Bum areas contain the conditions that sometimes 

 contribute to bumper morel crops. They may also require special 

 harvest permits. 



Buyer permits have been offered for sale with few takers. These permits allow a buy- 

 er to set up a buying station on National Forest land. Only one $500 permit was sold 

 in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest (La Grande District) in 1994. 



Private Lands 



Most private landowners have ignored mushroom harvesting on their lands, but many 

 have come to realize the income potential associated with the mushroom industry. 

 Some believe the value of mushrooms that could be produced under proper manage- 

 ment and regulated harvest is likely to equal or exceed that of other land uses. Other 

 land management practices may be compatible with mushroom management. Use of 

 fire, timber harvest, and grazing may even enhance production of some mushrooms if 

 done properly. Recently, some private landowners, including Boise Cascade, have 

 either posted their properties to prohibit picking, or have a policy of prohibiting com- 

 mercial harvests on their lands. Some private landowners likely will sell picking rights 

 on their lands in the future. Currently, there are landowners in the area who are at- 

 tempting to develop the mushroom resource on their lands by active management and 

 culturing (see footnote 2). Presently, most of the mushroom harvest is removed with- 

 out compensation to or permission from the landowner. 



