Oregon Public Broadcasting

In the down economy more people are turning to National Forest lands to make ends meet. They are picking more berries and mushrooms and hauling away more wood.

It's putting increasing pressure on the land and traditional Native American gatherers. And there's little to no regulation. Correspondent Anna King reports.

Leaders from the Umatilla Tribes near Pendleton, Oregon, say huckleberries are getting tough to find. That doesn't surprise Gary Harris. He is a tribal liaison for the National Forest Service in Portland.

He says the agency doesn't have good numbers. But observations show things like berries and mushrooms are being drained out of the Cascades, Olympics and Blues.

Gary Harris: “As people become more aware of these products and the availability on the National Forest lands the demand is definitely increasing. There's no question about that.”

Harris says his agency has been developing new regulations to govern forest collectors since 2004. But the Obama Administration has put the rule making process on hold.