But officials say searching for that perfect tree can be very rewarding!  Chris Stover with the Forest Service says, "My family and I, we get together every year and we go out and find a Christmas tree and hopefully the snow's not too deep because generally you want to find a Christmas tree on a north slope and generally the north slopes hold a little bit more snow, but it looks like we're going to have a pretty good season for Christmas tree hunting this year."  Permits cost 10 dollars and are available at most Black Hills National Forest Service offices until December 21st.  Stover says some of the best spots to find a tree include areas around Nemo Road and Bogus Jim Country.

Zach Nugent