October is National Firewood Awareness Month, a good time to remind you that whether it’s for home heating or campfires, your firewood choices matter.
Firewood can harbor tree-killing pests and diseases, some of which you may not be able to see outwardly right away.
This Firewood Awareness Month, help protect the places you love by making safe firewood choices:
- Buy firewood near where you’ll burn it.
- Buy certified firewood (look for a state or federal seal).
- Gather firewood on-site when permitted.
Make sure you follow Wisconsin’s firewood rules that apply to the movement of firewood into and/or within the state:
- Wisconsin prohibits the entry of uncertified firewood out of any areas that are under quarantine for regulated forest pests including Asian longhorned beetle, spongy moth, and mountain pine beetle.
- State and federal authorities prohibit the export of uncertified firewood out of areas within Wisconsin that are quarantined for spongy moth.
- The Wisconsin DNR’s permanent rule prohibits the entry of uncertified firewood onto Department-owned properties if it originated more than 10 miles from the property or comes from an area infested with spongy moth.
- Campgrounds often have additional restrictions on the use or movement of firewood. For example, Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest prohibits the possession, storage, or transport of uncertified firewood that originates more than 25 miles from your campsite.
To protect forest resources from harmful pests, find out the rules at your destination before bringing firewood and visit Wisconsin’s Firewood Rules and Resources page for state-wide details: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Invasives/firewood
To find local firewood vendors in Wisconsin, visit Certified Firewood Dealers in Wisconsin: https://datcp.wi.gov/Documents2/CertifiedFirewoodDealers090624.pdf