All wood? How is the wording?
The wording and policy varies from state to state.
Wood can be treated, I think by heat. Fines and penalties for violating the rules vary.
Taking firewood out of Worcester, MA, has hefty penalties.
Live beetles, firewood, lumber or any infested host tree branch, twig, stump or other woody material cannot be moved out of the area. Carrying away timber without authority carries a maximum sentence of up to 6 months in jail or a fine of up to $500.
For the Asian Longhorned Beetle:
What is a host tree?
In the United States, the beetle prefers maple species including boxelder, Norway, red, silver and sugar maples. Other preferred hosts are birches, Ohio buckeye, elms, horse-chestnut and willows. Occasional to rare hosts include ashes, European mountain ash, London plantree, mimosa and poplars.
From Baxter's website:
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!
Maine Forest Service Issues Firewood Warning
May 18, 2009
AUGUSTA, Maine - Campers heading to their favorite Maine campsites this Memorial Day weekend - and to any Maine campsite this season - are being reminded: Leave Your Firewood At Home!
The Maine Forest Service warns that invasive insects that could destroy Maine forests can be carried in firewood from one location to another.
Campers should buy firewood at their camping destination, instead of carrying it with them, according to MFS Forest Entomologist Charlene Donohue.
"I can't begin to emphasize how important this is," Donohue said Monday. "There are several dangerous species that can destroy Maine trees, such as maples and ashes. That destruction not only could kill our forests, but also affect our important forest and tourism industries."
"All campers, especially our out-of-state visitors, can do a lot to preserve our woods heritage and our economy by following this simple suggestion," she stressed.
Campers at state parks, particularly those from other states, will be asked about their firewood, Tom Morrison, Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands operations and maintenance director, said Monday. Signs warning of the problem also will be posted at the parks this summer, he said.
One highly dangerous insect - the Asian longhorned beetle - already is too close to Maine, Donohue said. This beetle, which kills maples, birches, poplars, willows and other tree species, already has been found in Worcester, Mass., as well as in New York, New Jersey and Toronto, Canada.
A federal quarantine is in place, prohibiting the transportation of firewood across quarantine lines, the MFS entomologist said.
"If this nasty bug ever gets established in Maine, it could destroy our maple sugar industry and our foliage tourism industry," Donohue warned. "This is serious business."
Invasive species can lodge in, on or under firewood bark, or be deep within the wood, the entomologist said. The insects often can't be seen in the wood. Infected wood that is transported to "clean" locales, especially if it's left lying around for any length of time, can allow the spread of the bad bugs, she said.
Left alone, an invasive insect might spread only a few miles in one year, Donohue said. Carried in firewood, it can spread hundreds of miles in one year, she pointed out.
One of the most serious invasive bugs is the emerald ash borer, which has the potential to kill all ash trees in North America. Ash wood, in particular, is used to make baseball bats.
The emerald ash borer, which can kill a tree in three to five years, has killed millions of trees in the Midwest and has been found, as of 2008, in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, Wisconsin, Missouri, Maryland and Ontario, Canada.
Just last week, state officials in Minnesota reported the presence of the emerald ash borer in that state. Three infested trees were found in a line of trees in front of some town houses in a St. Paul neighborhood.
Donohue has been giving firewood and invasive species training to Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands staff people, Morrison said. Park staffers will be on the look-out regarding firewood, particularly that brought in by campers from areas where known insect problems exist, the BPL operations director said.
"We will be talking to campers, particularly campers from where there is a known problem," Morrison said. "If they bring in firewood, we will be asking them to burn it the first day."
Firewood will be available at most parks, Morrison said. Campers can buy it there or from local vendors, he said.
Donahue asks everyone to remember these four safety tips:
Use firewood you obtain locally;
Don't transport firewood more then 50 miles (e.g., across county lines, especially to second homes, such as summer houses, cottages, cabins and hunting shacks);
Don't take firewood home that you got elsewhere;
If you've already transported firewood, don’t leave it or bring it home - burn it!
For more information,contact
Maine Forest Service Forest Entomologist Charlene Donahue at 287-3244 or email:
[email protected]
Or call: Maine Forest Service Insect & Disease Lab at 287-2431 or email:
[email protected]
Or go to: http://www.maine.gov/firewood or http://www.dontmovefirewood.org/ http://www.twincities.com/ci_12374493