Firewood Restrictions in your state?

[CanoeStream]

The Midwest is experiencing a breakout of an Asian beetle that destroys live ash trees. A few years back Chicago was cutting all trees in a couple square mile area due to a large Chinese tree destroying bug that came in on pallets.

I made a reservation this week for Wisconsin state parks and they ban campers bringing firewood from out-of-state. The following article is representative of what is in the press this week about the Asian beetle in Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, South Dakota & Michigan.

Are you seeing similar firewood restrictions in your corner of the States? Bet it's only a matter of time before this affects a lot of us. Take care!

From WTHR-TV, Indianapolis:

States impose firewood restrictions to slow ash borer's spread

May 30, 2006 09:45 AM

Anderson, Ind. - States are trying halt the spread of a tiny green beetle that decimates ash trees.

Indiana, Ohio and Michigan -- where the emerald ash borer is now confined -- have imposed tough rules on bringing wood into parks and moving live ash trees or logs out of infested areas.

Wisconsin and South Dakota have banned out-of-state firewood outright.

Other states are keeping a wary eye on the bug. It has killed nearly 20 million North American ash trees in the three infested states and southern Ontario in the past four years.

The iridescent green beetle was found in Michigan in 2002.

The invaders can travel only about a half-mile annually.

But people heading off for weekend excursions have spread them rapidly by bringing their own firewood along for outings.

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[AZstreamin]

Many of the counties in AZ have fire restrictions but not because of a bad bug. It is very dry in the mountains this year which means no campfires, lanterns etc but that doesn't make it any less fun when your camping in an Airstream

[SilverRanger]

If I recall, last year we were notified by our Dept. of Agriculture of the potential problems with importing firewood from out of state into our campgrounds. At the time, they were asking for voluntary compliance, but I believe it's only a matter of time before it becomes a mandate.

[Anon]

Here near Detroit, we are combatting the Chinese Emerald Ash Borer.
It is a nasty critter that burrows through the bark of the tree and the larva eats the layer between the bark and the wood until it suffocates the tree.
I lost two 60+ year old White Ash to that bug. Since these trees are in an area that was blocked by a garage, primary power lines and secondary power lines it cost my $1,800 to have them climbed and cut down piece by piece. Another $350 to get the MASSIVE stumps ground and now they are nothing more than a memory.
There are HUGE warning signs at most MI State Parks warning about transporting firewood from the Metro-Detroit area. The MI DNR has something on their website about it too.

[Chaplain Kent]

The Chinese Emerald ash Borer is a real threat to the forest in the Midwest. Yes, Wisconsin DNR has restricted firewood being carried in from out of state and this is enforced. When you make a reservation in a state park you will receive notice of the firewood ban. Upon arrival at the state park someone is going to check your firewood whether you realize it or not. If you have tried to sneak firewood in, it will be confiscated and you may be asked to leave the park! We have witnessed this. Our forests are a treasure and everything possible to preserve them must be done.

[bake315]

We currently have a fire ban in Texas state parks, but it's due to the drought. There have been a few small exceptions - at Ft. Davis we were allowed to have small charcoal fires strictly for cooking, and even still, I kept water within arm's reach.

This of course, didn't make me feel any better about CruiseAmerica Rental Boy two sites down, when, deciding that his charcoal wasn't burning fast enough to suit him, pulled a plastic cup from a trash bag, filled it with Coleman camping fuel, and proceeded to pour it on the coals. Fire flared (d-uh) climbed the stream and set fire to the cup in his hand. Idiot.

What scares me is this guy probably votes, too.

[Boondocker]

SMNP has a ban on wood from Illinois, and I think Michigan due to the infestation.

[crazylev]

There is also a big problem with Gypsy Moth populations ruining trees in the midwest as well. They look like gigantic cobb webs in trees, but are deadly.

We used to bring a few pieces of firewood for our first night or two with the intention of getting wood at our destination.

We no longer "pack" firewood from home, no matter where we got it from. It is a shame to see what few trees that most state parks have, slowly dieing from pest.

What ever we don't burn, we leave for the next camp occupant.

I'm really surprised that that kid used Coleamn white gas to start his fire. Gasoline works much better!!!

Jonathan

[Danetree]

The Emerald Ash Bore will be more as devistating than Duch Elm Disease. Please don't bring Fire wood out of infested areas. It is an exotic spiecies that has established in the Eastern Midwest. It attakes all spieces of ash and all sizes. Most borers are opertunistic and attack stressed trees The Emerald Ash Bore likes nice healthy trees of all sizes. It is going to be ugly when all the ash trees are gone.

[overlander63]

Here in Florida we have Bark Beetles, that are destroying Pine forests all over the place. Don't know if it is going on in other states or not, but I would imagine wherever there are pine trees, there could be these beetles.

[Davydd]

We bought firewood in Tahquamenon Falls State Park on the eastern end of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. We didn't use it so we hauled it to Porcupine Mountains Wilderness SP on the western end of the Upper Peninsula. They asked if we had any fire wood and we said yes. After we told them where we got it they let us keep it.

Now I have left over firewood from this past weekend at Frontenac SP in Minnesota. It was just too darn hot to burn it and we bought if off a couple that was leaving the park because they didn't use it. I inspected each piece and put it in a plastic container. I am not sure what to do with it now.

Since we are felling 7 giant trees (over 100 feet tall) in our yard this week we could have all the wood we will ever need. Unfortunately they are godawful cottonwoods. We are getting a bobcat and dump truck to come in and haul it off. I hired a pro to do it. I guess the first tree 9.5 ft. in circumference brought out all the neighbors when it dropped. I was at work so missed the event.

[Anon]

Originally Posted by Danetree

The Emerald Ash Bore will be more as devistating than Duch Elm Disease. Please don't bring Fire wood out of infested areas. It is an exotic spiecies that has established in the Eastern Midwest. It attakes all spieces of ash and all sizes. Most borers are opertunistic and attack stressed trees The Emerald Ash Bore likes nice healthy trees of all sizes. It is going to be ugly when all the ash trees are gone.

Very deadly little critter but it does not attack mountain ash and I think black ash.

[Anon]

Originally Posted by Davydd

We bought firewood in Tahquamenon Falls State Park on the eastern end of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. We didn't use it so we hauled it to Porcupine Mountains Wilderness SP on the western end of the Upper Peninsula. They asked if we had any fire wood and we said yes. After we told them where we got it they let us keep it.

Now I have left over firewood from this past weekend at Frontenac SP in Minnesota. It was just too darn hot to burn it and we bought if off a couple that was leaving the park because they didn't use it. I inspected each piece and put it in a plastic container. I am not sure what to do with it now.

Since we are felling 7 giant trees (over 100 feet tall) in our yard this week we could have all the wood we will ever need. Unfortunately they are godawful cottonwoods. We are getting a bobcat and dump truck to come in and haul it off. I hired a pro to do it. I guess the first tree 9.5 ft. in circumference brought out all the neighbors when it dropped. I was at work so missed the event.

You can definitely tell wood that has been infested with ash borer. When you peel away the bark there are distinctive "trails" that the larvae leave as they eat between the bark and the wood. Looks like worm tracks.
I now have several board-feet of ash wood to make furniture and cabinets.
A real shame, considering my grandfather planted these trees when they bought my present home WAY back when.

[Chaplain Kent]

[quote=Davydd]
Now I have left over firewood from this past weekend at Frontenac SP in Minnesota. It was just too darn hot to burn it and we bought if off a couple that was leaving the park because they didn't use it. I inspected each piece and put it in a plastic container. I am not sure what to do with it now.
quote]

The best thing to have done was to leave the firewood at your camp site. Sure you have wasted a few bucks but why take a chance in moving a dreaded blight to another part of the country.
At last report the Emerald Ash Bore has been reported in Evanston, IL; at this rate it will soon be infesting our forests here in Wisconsin.

[Anon]

[quote=Chaplain Kent]

Originally Posted by Davydd

At last report the Emerald Ash Bore has been reported in Evanston, IL; at this rate it will soon be infesting our forests here in Wisconsin.

This is just a crazy thought but here goes...
What if the state would cut a swath of healthy ash out around the infested areas? Sort of like a fire break?
Does anyone think that would slow their rate of progression?
I know that there is a lot of infestation coming from sources that are transporting the infested wood.
These really are nasty little critters.
I have seen what happened to all of the old elm trees that used to line several streets in Detroit when they got Dutch Elm Disease.
I have seen the Gypsy Moth destroy several acres of old trees in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I have never seen anything attack a tree with such voracity as what the Emerald Ash Borer does.
When I cut my two 60+ year old ash trees down they we so dry that I could use them for firewood immediately.

[CanoeStream]

Originally Posted by pattersontoo

What if the state would cut a swath of healthy ash out around the infested areas? Sort of like a fire break? Does anyone think that would slow their rate of progression

Slow? Yes. Worth it? No. This would be very expensive and doomed by the human factor from the start. Holding actions in place will gradualize the full economic impact of an exotic pest, whether ash borer, gypsy moths, Eurasian water milfoil or zebra mussels. Stopping the march across the landscape is improbable. Taking an extraordinary measure to delay it another fraction probably isn't in the cards.

This is just another reason why we're very lucky not to live in Hawaii -- the impact of exotics is mind numbing in the Aloha State. Be sure to remove all seeds from tire treads before venturing there ....