Memorial Day Weekend campers are being urged to keep their firewood at home.
Firewood can carry harmful insects and diseases, according to the state Department of Natural Resources. Andrea Diss-Torrance with the agency says invasive species, such as the emerald ash borer, threaten the health of forests and urban trees.
In order to prevent the bug from hitch hiking, it’s best to get your firewood locally. Diss-Torrance says if it’s bought locally or if it’s certified, then it’s no problem. But if it’s from a distant location, or from a quarantined area, Diss-Torrance says it will be confiscated and destroyed.
DATCPs website says it is estimated that more than 50 million ash trees are dead or dying in the Midwest because of this insect. Tree-killing beetle is a slow-moving bug, that’s often spread by firewood. “There are some regulations in state parks and other state campgrounds and state forests. To help prevent the movement and introduction of pests … we have limitations on what firewood is allowed.”
Diss-Torrance tells campers to use firewood bought from a seller no less than 25 miles away, or a seller that’s certified by the state’s agriculture department. She suggests campers call ahead to check availability of firewood at or near campsites — whether federal, county or private.
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