The holiday season is a perfect excuse to get out into the mountains — and Plumas National Forest is making it easy. Christmas tree permits are on sale now for $10 each at local forest offices or online through Recreation.gov (go to Plumas National Forest Christmas Tree Permit). Households may buy up to two permits; each permit covers one tree and is valid through December 31, 2025. If you buy online you’ll pay a $2.50 reservation fee and must print the permit and display it on your dashboard while transporting the tree. Fourth graders with a valid Every Kid Outdoors pass can claim a free permit (a $2.50 reservation fee still applies when using the online option).A few rules to keep in mind: permits are valid only on Plumas National Forest lands — not on private, state, or other federal lands — and trees may not be cut in Wilderness Areas, active timber sales, developed recreation sites, or tree plantations.
Bring home a real tree and help the forest at the same time! 
The Johnson Valley community has been holding its breath these past months as the U.S. Marine Corps’ Special Use Airspace proposal, R2509, moves through the public process. After an intense wave of local comments and outreach, momentum slowed during the government shutdown — but the Marines have since released public fact sheets about the proposal. That put new material in front of the public, and it’s precisely the sort of moment when clear information matters most.
Built where the Nisenan village of Ustumah once stood, Nevada built itself around gold and water with the first sawmill and the Gold Tunnel on Deer Creek arriving in 1850, and it became the engine of California’s mining world. The town was incorporated in 1856 and added “City” to the name in 1864 to avoid confusion with California, a neighboring state.
Ferndale is a small, storybook town on the edge of California’s Lost Coast that feels like stepping back into the Victorian age. Tucked into a broad coastal plain in Humboldt County, the town is famous for its brightly painted Victorian “Painted Ladies,” ornate storefronts, and a deep dairy heritage that once earned it the nickname “Cream City.” A stroll down Main Street—now part of a nationally recognized historic district—reveals the same gingerbread trims and turrets that brought movie crews and curious roadtrippers to town.