Protect America’s Forests – Leave Your Firewood at Home

ST. PAUL, MN – “This camping season, do something positive for the environment, leave your firewood at home and obtain it at your destination.” says Kathryn Maloney, Director of the USDA Forest Service Northeastern Area. “Transporting firewood around the state or into adjacent states could threaten the health of our forests by spreading insects and diseases that live in dead wood.”  Moving infested firewood could damage and kill the trees in our most treasured forests where we live and play -- our cabins, resorts, hunting areas, parks, campgrounds, and communities.

As you read this, forestry experts in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and Ontario are battling emerald ash borer, a tiny green beetle accidentally introduced to our country from Asia. Since its discovery in 2002, the insect has killed over 15 million ash trees in Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio alone.

“The emerald ash borer is destroying ash trees in forests, suburbs and urban areas.  Dead and dying ash trees in parks, neighborhoods and commercial areas pose a safety hazard.  The financial burden of removing these trees falls upon local communities and homeowners, increasing the distress associated with dying trees.” says Deb McCullough, Forest Entomologist at Michigan State University. “In many cases, the spread of emerald ash borer has been traced to the transportation of infested firewood to campsites and cabins.  This small beetle appears capable of destroying all of the ash species that occur in North America, including the three most common species -- green, white, and black ash.  The absence of ash would drastically change our forest landscape.  Slowing how quickly it spreads could provide time to find ways to combat this serious pest.”   

Emerald ash borer is not the only pest spread by transporting cut wood.  Asian longhorned beetle, gypsy moth, Sirex woodwasp, hemlock woolly adelgid, Dutch elm disease, oak wilt, beech bark disease, and butternut canker can all be spread to healthy trees by moving infested firewood and tree trimmings from one area to another.  As a result, forests have deteriorated in health and in some cases -- like beech and butternut – the survival of the tree species is in jeopardy.  Many of these insects and diseases are not native to North America.  Since these pests are not a part of our native forests’ evolutionary history, our trees have few natural defenses and few natural predators available to keep them in check.

Federal, State, and local forest health experts are all working to minimize the impacts of these insects and diseases, however infestations spread quickly and timely detection is difficult. Unfortunately, humans can make the problem worse by unknowingly moving these pests in firewood and establishing infestations in new areas.

“The bottom line is… everyone must help,” Maloney said.  “Encourage every camper, cabin owner, and recreationist to leave their firewood at home and obtain it near their destination… that could make a long-term difference in the health of our forests and the quality of our recreational experiences.  We want to be sure our grandchildren and great grandchildren can still enjoy the same special places tomorrow that we enjoy today.”

For more information about threats to forest health including the accidental movement of infested firewood, contact Steve Katovich, Entomologist, (651) 649-5264.

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