Location Shooting

How difficult is it to get a permit? I’ve found private entities (e.g., companies, individuals) are usually accommodating and helpful. Public entities (e.g., cities, states, federal agencies) may be another story. For example:

• Our location for shooting a home catalog’s cover was a remote and lovely waterfall in Oregon’s Cascade mountains. Unfortunately, nobody could figure out who owned it. Federal, state and lumber company officials all thought it might be theirs, but weren’t sure. We finally got the lumber company to issue a permit on the theory that any permit was better than none. And yes, a smiling Forest Service officer did show up and ask to see our permit.