Wisconsin campers can help prevent the spread of tree diseases and pests like emerald ash borer by getting wood locally this Labor Day weekend. Forest health specialist Andrea Diss-Torrance says the fight against invasives is one the entire state is working on. She says the next best thing to locally sourced firewood is wood that’s been certified as pest free.
“The wood is treated in such a way that it’s no longer suitable for the insects and diseases that live in a living tree,” she says. “That’s the important thing, because we don’t want the firewood transmitting these diseases into our living trees and killing them.”
There’s more information about invasives online from the DNR’s website. Most state parks and forests have local firewood available for sale on site that meets certifications.
WSAU