Commercial huckleberry picking temporarily halted in Gifford Pinchot National Forest
The U.S. Forest Service announced this week that it will temporarily prohibit commercial picking of huckleberries this summer in Gifford Pinchot National Forest in southwestern Washington.
Commercially picked berries have fueled an entire huckleberry industry, flavoring ice cream, sodas, pies, jams, vodkas and wines – at the expense of Yakama Nation tribal members, as detailed in High Country News’ March feature.
“Huckleberries are a vital cultural and ecological resource, and we must ensure their sustainability for generations to come,” Johanna Kovarik, Gifford Pinchot’s forest supervisor, said in a written statement. “This change allows us to work more closely with tribal governments, and local stakeholders and law enforcement to improve management while reducing conflicts.”
The announcement comes after years of complaints from members of the Ḱamíłpa Band of the Yakama Nation about the agency’s commercial program. Gifford Pinchot is the only national forest that allows large-scale commercial harvest of huckleberries, which are a traditional food for the Yakama Nation and other Pacific Northwest Indigenous peoples. Members of the Yakama Nation have reserved rights under their 1855 treaty with the U.S. government to harvest huckleberries in Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/04/03/commercial-huckleberry-picking-temporarily-halted-in-gifford-pinchot-national-forest/
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