With temperatures rising — at least between spring snow flurries — mushrooms are beginning to appear in Central Oregon

People picking mushrooms on national forests for their own use don’t need a permit so long as they don’t pick, possess or transport more than a gallon of mushrooms in Oregon (five gallons in Washington).

This personal-use policy applies on the Deschutes, Wallowa-Whitman, Umatilla and Malheur national forests.

Those who want to either exceed those limits, or who want to sell mushrooms picked on the national forests, need to buy a commercial permit.

Commercial permits, which are available to people 18 or older, cost $2 per day, with a minimum purchase of $20 (10 days). An annual commercial permit, valid through Dec. 31, 2024, costs $100.

Commercial picking is not allowed in wilderness areas. Personal-use picking is allowed in those areas.

Commercial pickers who plan to camp overnight on national forest land are required to buy an industrial camping permit. Those are available at Forest Service offices. Commercial pickers and buyers can’t camp in designated campgrounds.