Bringing firewood from home can transport destructive insects.
Asian Long-Horned Beetle
Memorial Day marks the start of the summer camping season for many, so I thought I’d do a quick post on the importance of purchasing firewood locally. Nothing brings guests together like a crackling campfire. However, if you bring wood from home and then travel a few hundred miles (or even much fewer), some of those guests may be very unwelcome.
Invasive insects capable of doing great harm to local forests can hide in transported firewood. The Emerald Ash Borer and Asian Longhorned Beetle are two very destructive pests that have been shown to be spread by camp firewood. These invaders have killed millions of trees and caused much environmental and economic harm. Signs of infestation are often very subtle, and can be difficult to spot even by experts. The only sure way to prevent accidental spread of invasive insects is to leave all wood at home. In fact, it is illegal to bring untreated camp wood into Maine from other states.
Local Central-Maine Ash Hardwood
The Maine Forest Service recommends taking the following precautions:
- Do not bring firewood from outside the state of Maine.
- Buy firewood from a local source where you camp.
- Do not transport firewood distances greater than 50 miles, even within Maine.
- If you’ve already transported firewood, don’t leave it or bring it home – burn it! If you can’t burn it all within 24 hours, bring it to the nearest drop-off site.
When purchasing firewood, ask the vendor where they get their wood. Just because it is sold locally doesn’t mean it is sourced locally.
Check out Dontmovefirewood.og for more information.
Stay in touch,
-Cam GouldGould and Son Tree Service