Dear Don’t Move Firewood,
I live in Albuquerque New Mexico and was planning to make a trip to Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. What if any, are the restrictions for moving a pickup load of Hickory, Oak, Cherry and Apple back to NM with me when I return? Does this require any special permit? I plan to use the wood for heat and smoking meat.
Yours,
Barbecue Lover
Dear Barbecue Lover,
Thank you for asking, as the answer to this is quite clear. It is illegal to move a truckload of cut loose firewood from Pennsylvania to New Mexico due to multiple federal quarantines pertaining to firewood and forest pests. There is no permit process that I know of for personal use firewood to be moved over this great of a distance, and across the two federal quarantine boundary areas. I would urge you not to take this firewood back to New Mexico for both legal, and ecological, reasons. I hope that instead, you can find a good local source of firewood within the state of New Mexico for your needs! —
The two most obvious quarantines you would be violating are:
– Emerald Ash Borer Quarantine or General Information
– European Gypsy Moth Quarantine or General Information
In conclusion- there are significant restrictions and you’d be violating the law, so you should not move firewood from PA to NM. Thank you!