Annual permits for matsutake mushrooms go on sale from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 16, at the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area office, 855 Hwy. 101, in Reedsport. Anyone gathering matsutake mushrooms within the Siuslaw National Forest for the purpose of selling must carry a commercial-use permit while picking.
One hundred permits will be available for sale at $250 a permit. One permit per person. Permits will be sold on a first come, first served basis.
To purchase a permit, the following information must be provided:
- Valid identification card issued by a state or U.S. federal government
- Vehicle make, model and license plate number
Permits can be purchased using cash, check or credit card.
After Aug. 16, unsold permits can be purchased out of the Siuslaw National Forest headquarters in Corvallis, the Central Coast Ranger Station in Waldport and the ODNRA office in Reedsport.
No permits are needed if gathering matsutakes for personal use. Personal use restrictions are six matsutakes per person a day, and the mushroom must be cut in half length-wise immediately upon harvesting to remove its commercial value.
Please be aware that similarly looking poisonous mushrooms exist in the same area as matsutakes. Do not disturb topsoil when searching for matsutakes by digging or raking. Upon harvesting a matsutake, return soil or debris attached to the stem back into the cavity created by the removed mushroom and cover the hole.
For more information, contact the ODNRA office at 541-271-6000.
