Going Mushroom Hunting?

Sonora, CA — Permits will be available this coming Monday for anyone hoping to gather up mushrooms in the Stanislaus National Forest.

You can receive a permit to collect up to five pounds of fungi, for personal consumption, free of charge. If you want to collect over five pounds, chargeable permit are available to mushroom hunters at a fee of $4 per pound. Up to 75 pounds of mushrooms can be collected per person, within a calendar year, using this permit.

Stanislaus National Forest Spokesperson Veronica Garcia points out that rules require mushrooms to be cut from the stem, and not raked. She says this is in order to protect the landscape and resources. In addition, she notes that most of the Rim Fire area is open for mushroom hunters, except where there is active timber harvesting underway.

The mushroom permits will be available at all district offices in the Stanislaus National Forest.