9 You Can Help Keep Our Forests Healthy!
A campfire is an important part of the camping experience for many people. But your campfire wood could be hiding insects or diseases that can kill Wisconsin’s trees. Gypsy moth, emerald ash borer, oak wilt, beech bark disease and others spread easily when hidden in firewood.
“It’s common to see campers bring firewood from home,” says Andrea Diss-Torrence, forest pest expert with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. “We have visitors from all over the state and across the country and we have no idea where all that firewood is coming from. Some of that wood might just be the source of our next big problem.”
Firewood isn’t the only way these pests move around but is the most difficult to stop. The DNR restricts the movement of firewood onto all state-owned lands. Quarantines are in place for gypsy moth and emerald ash borer, and firewood may not be moved from a quarantined area to a non-quarantined area. See
www.dnr.wi.gov, keyword “firewood” for details. All of eastern Wisconsin is quarantined for gypsy moth and a dozen counties are quarantined for emerald ash borer. Violations are enforced with fines and jail time.
Campers, follow these simple
steps to help ensure the healthy future of our state parks and forests:
• Leave firewood at home and purchase aged firewood at or nearby the park. With the increasing complexity and differences in firewood regulations, it’s the easiest way to plan.
• Wood from sources not certified by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture may be confiscated and destroyed. For a list of certified firewood dealers, see www.
emeraldashborer.wi.gov
• Any firewood brought into the park must be cut in Wisconsin AND within 25 miles of the park. Also, if it was cut or stored in a quarantined area, it is not allowed.
• Burn all firewood at your
campsite; don’t move it out of the park.
• Cook over gas or charcoal instead of an open fire. Instead of an evening campfire, explore new night-time activities like star gazing or viewing wildlife by flashlight.
Campfires remain an important part of the outdoor experience in Wisconsin, but we must all take a few precautions to keep our forests and campgrounds – and our city parks and yards – healthy.
Ask a ranger, other park staff, or campground host about firewood rules, or visit www.dnr.
wi.gov, and search “firewood.”
• PLEASE BE AWARE FIREWOOD RESTRICTIONS MAY CHANGE DURING THE SEASON •
South Shore “Cottage” Road
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