At the Sonoma County Mycological Society (SOMA), we're concerned about the public's ability to collect mushrooms for personal use on public lands. Here's our take on the situation, and what we would like to see happen.
- In areas under USFS jurisdiction where the resource needs to be managed, equal or greater concern should be given to individual and group collecting, not commercial concerns.
- Collecting should be permitted in wilderness areas such as sport hunting and fishing are now, with regulations as to how collection is done.
- Permits should be attainable by mail or phone for noncommercial collection. Group permits should be issued for mushroom club events.
- There should be a minimum below which no permit is needed, to permit spontaneous collecting.
- There should be no loss of access to areas currently legal for picking.
- State and regional parks should be reopened for noncommercial purposes.
- There should be no seasonal restrictions on the picking of mushrooms.