Student Shane with Smokey the Bear

Park Record, November 6, 2023--South Summit student scores very first Christmas tree permit in the country from the U.S. Forest Service

Fourth-grade student Shane Williams from South Summit Elementary School received the first Christmas tree permit in the entire country Monday morning.

Every year the U.S. Department of Agriculture prints thousands of Christmas tree permits for Forest Service stations nationwide. This allows individuals to cut down their own Christmas tree from their local national forest. 

It’s not every year that the Heber-Kamas Ranger Station gets the first permit in the country, but this year was Shane’s lucky year.

Brenda Bushell, of the Heber-Kamas Ranger Station, said, “It’s neat that we got the number one tag this year. The chance to get the first permit in the country is so rare.” 

Permits went on sale Monday morning and Shane was the first one there to get his permit. His family has a tradition of going into the Uintas to cut down their tree every year. As part of the Every Kid in a Park program, fourth-graders across the country have access to a free Christmas tree permit. So not only did he get the first permit, he got it for free.