Buy where you burn

Transporting firewood outside the area where you burn could spread devastating non-native invasive species according to the Nature Conservancy and the National Forest Service.

When firewood is moved pests that go along with it may include the European gypsy moth, the Asian long-horned beetle, the Emerald Ash Borer, and pathogens such as beech bark disease, sudden oak death pathogen, and several others.

Campers and travelers are urged to purchase or cut their firewood locally and to leave any excess wood at the site to avoid the spread of these infestations.

Some states and counties don’t allow you to transport firewood across their borders.

The Emerald Ash Borer is a very small insect that originated in China and was transported in solid wood packing material used in cargo shipment. The larvae feed under the bark of Ash trees, leaving S shaped marks.  They can wipe out an entire neighborhood within a few years.