Author: Leigh Greenwood

We’ve talked about burning cut pallets before, but what about construction waste? As always, we’ve got you covered.

Dear Don’t Move Firewood,

I work in construction and have access to large amounts of processed construction lumber fall off. Is it ok to bring some of that wood for campfires as it is no longer a tree in its natural form?

Yours, Mark

Dear Mark,

There is sometimes a gap between a regulation, and every single possible thing that could apply to that regulation. Your question is regarding “processed construction lumber fall off,” so what I’m envisioning is the little clean dry bark-free segments of 2×4 or similar dimensional lumber that get trimmed off so that the whole piece is the correct length. If that’s right, then this sort of wood product presents a very minimal risk to tree health, and it would be OK in theory to use it for camping. However- and this is a BIG however- this sort of wood may still be either under regulation in your state, or may be turned away at the campground gate. The first thing- that it may be under regulation- is because the definition of untreated firewood varies a bit, and these scraps could be included. It isn’t because they are the same, it is because of what I first said- the gap between a regulation and every single possible type of burnable wood product. Then, the second part is the campground issue. Some campgrounds will not permit the burning of scraps, pallets, or other construction types of wood. This is generally for worker safety, for fear of chemicals like arsenic, or sharp brackets that could be released in burning and cause injuries for maintenance workers.

But this is untreated wood, you protest! And it doesn’t have nails or brackets! I know, but just because yours is clean and safe doesn’t mean everyone’s is.

Anyway, the point that I’m getting at is that processed lumber scrap is fine to burn in theory, but in practice it still may be forbidden in some areas, and in some campgrounds. I would advise checking with local regulations and calling ahead to the campgrounds. A little time on the phone can go a long way.

Invasive forest pests come in all different types- fungi, bacteria, beetles, aphids- and all the pests we talk about are united in the fact that they will eventually kill the tree they are infesting. But what happens next? What can you do with all that standing dead timber?

 

Dear Don't Move Firewood,

I have a question about the Emerald Ash Borer. What about these loggers who go in and buy up trees in your woods?  If you have a lot of ash trees can they buy up those trees for the wood?

Yours,

Margaret

 

Dear Margaret,

Yes, in many cases, you could use a properly certified and permitted private logging operation to cut down the trees and use them for various purposes. In a quarantined area (whether a region, zone, or state) you'd have to be extremely careful to ensure that they have a compliance certificate or other legal documentation showing that their plans for cutting and moving the wood was legal and appropriate. But with proper precautions and paperwork in place, you'd be set to go. For instance, if you lived in an area with lots of ash trees, and there was a firewood producer with a kiln that meets federal certifications, you could even use it to make kiln dried firewood! Across the continent, wood harvested from areas with forest pests is used for lots of things; firewood, pellets, chips, log home timbers, and more. It is just a matter of taking the time and precautions to make sure you are doing it right, and not spreading forest pests.

 

Thanks for asking.

Ready for the best email we've gotten in weeks? Maybe months?

 

Dear Don't Move Firewood,

Please clarify for me – if I live in Snohomish county, it's best to get my firewood in Snohomish county? Also, I should not bring this firewood to a campsite out of my county? Thank you!

Yours,

Kathryn in Washington

 

Dear Kathryn-

Yes! That's exactly right. Exactly!

 

I bet you didn't know that the Viburnum Leaf Beetle, a major pest originally from Europe, is found in your county. And not knowing that is fine. It actually completely supports the idea that you and everyone else in the world doesn't need to know about each pest, each infestation, and each type of affected tree and shrub. You just need to know EXACTLY what you've said in your email- that wood should be burned near its origin, preferably never leaving the county or nearby region. Ideally, firewood and other untreated wood products should travel under 50 miles- and better closer to 25 or 10 miles whenever feasible. 

 

Other insects like the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug are found in the Pacific Northwest, and can hitchhike in firewood or brush. And have you heard of Sudden Oak Death? It is a really bad tree killer, found around Northern California and limited areas of Southern Oregon. You certainly wouldn't want to risk spreading that by buying untreated (and likely illegally transported) firewood from that region. But you don't need to know about these things, really. Just stick to the basics- exotic and damaging beetles, diseases, stink bugs… they can spread on firewood, unseen, unknown. So buy it where you burn it, and thanks for writing in!

Great and short inquiry this week from the Granite State!

Dear Don’t Move Firewood,

Living in N.H. and would like to know if you have your own trees from yard cut down can we bring them to our campground in N.H.?

Yours, Marilyn

Editor’s Note: The original answer to this question (written in 2012) is no longer applicable. Please refer to our Firewood Map for current information on the topic of firewood and the state of New Hampshire.

An interesting question popped into my inbox this weekend, about prevention from insect infestations, and use of pesticides.

 

Dear Don't Move Firewood,

I lost several ash trees to pests this last couple seasons here in n.w. Ohio. I am concerned about a large maple tree. Nothing visible yet but as a precaution I wonder if a treatment of Lambda-cyhalothrin would be in order. It is a product that has worked well on the beetle (lady bug). Your thoughts would be appreciated.

Yours,

Roger in Ohio

 

Dear Roger,

I'm sorry to hear about your ash trees. I don't know if they were killed by the emerald ash borer specifically, but I know that the EAB has a lot of infested areas in Northwest Ohio, so it seems likely. What may make you feel better is that your maple tree is not under immediate, urgent, threat from the Asian longhorned beetle, which is present in limited pockets near Cincinnati. Of course, that's a different part of Ohio from where you live. Therefore the preventative use of pesticides, such as you mention, is likely to be a waste of your money in this context.

 

However, in general, we here at Don't Move Firewood don't have expertise in these things- that's what a licensed, experienced, and knowledgeable tree care expert should do for you. For all I know, there are native insects that you might be facing in your part of Ohio, and judicious use of pesticides to save your favorite tree could be in order. While researching your question, I came upon an excellent short impartial guide to helping you make a decision on hiring a tree care professional (visit Hiring a Tree Care Company). I highly advise that you find a reputable and well regarded tree care professional in your area to help you with your treatment (or not) of your maple tree.

 

Good luck! And please, don't move any of the wood from your dead ash trees!

 

 

With Earth Day festivities winding down, Don’t Move Firewood is gearing up for one of our favorite days of the year- Arbor Day! To celebrate, we are putting out a news release with lots of great advice for how to care for the trees in your life, and protect them from forest pests. Enjoy…

 

 ARBOR DAY: PLANT NEW TREES AND SAFEGUARD OLD TREES

Tree-killing insects and diseases are cutting short the lives of trees at a high cost to Americans

ARLINGTON, VA—April 23, 2012 – On April 27, millions of Americans will observe Arbor Day by planting new trees. While planting trees is important to the well-being of our forests, it is just as critical to learn how to protect both new and older trees from damage by invasive insects and diseases. The death of large, mature trees due to these pests can be devastating to neighborhoods, parks, and natural areas.

 

When Julius Sterling Morton declared the first Arbor Day in 1872 in Nebraska, he was ahead of his time in understanding the value of trees. According to the U.S. Forest Service, a 20-year-old tree providing shade on private property can return to the homeowner an average of $102 in annual energy savings, while only costing $15 to plant and maintain. A public tree that same age, such as the ones you find on your street, returns $96 in annual energy savings, storm water runoff reduction, cleaner air, higher property values, and other benefits for every $36 spent on planting, mulching, pruning, and other care. Over its lifetime, a large tree in the U.S. Northeast, for example, will provide almost $6,000 in these benefits.

 

In addition to the monetary value trees provide, a poll conducted by The Nature Conservancy found that 95 percent of the public consider trees to be an important part of the character and quality of life where they live, and that 93 percent are concerned about the insects and diseases that kill trees.

 

“Unfortunately, tens of thousands of trees are destroyed by invasive tree-killing insects and diseases every year,” said Leigh Greenwood, Don’t Move Firewood campaign manager, The Nature Conservancy. “On Arbor Day, if everyone makes a commitment to take simple steps, like not moving firewood when they travel or camp, we can work together as a nation to save both newly planted and already existing trees from being lost from our roadsides, backyards, and natural areas.”

 

The dangers of exotic forest pests in North America first became evident in the late 1800s with the arrival of white pine blister rust on infested pine seedlings as well as the accidental introduction of the hardwood-loving spongy moth. Chestnut blight soon followed, and this blight spread rapidly across the continent, killing millions of mature chestnut trees. Over the last hundred years, other introduced species of invasive insects and diseases have killed tens of millions of trees in cities, towns, and forests across the country. These tree-killing pests include Dutch elm disease, Asian longhorned beetle, emerald ash borer, thousand cankers disease, hemlock wooly adelgid, sudden oak death, Sirex woodwasp, and many others.

 

“Prevention by everyday citizens is the key to averting widespread devastation of urban and backyard trees as well as wild forests,” said Greenwood. “Many of these insects and diseases can only be stopped by destroying the trees that are infested – a necessary but undesirable method that is most clearly tragic when entire neighborhoods lose their precious tree cover.”

 

Arbor Day tree protection tips:

 

• Buy your trees and plants from a reputable source, and purchase certified, pest-free nursery stock whenever possible.

 

• Tree-killing pests can be found in a variety of wood products. Most problematic are firewood, brush, yard waste, tree debris, and re-used wood packaging material. Avoid the long-range movement of these materials to help slow the spread of pests. Buy, use, and dispose of these wood products locally.

 

• If you have been camping or hiking in a forested area, clean your equipment, boots, animals, and gear before returning home so not to spread unwanted forest pests or invasive plant seeds.

 

• Obtain firewood near the location where you will burn it – that means the wood was cut in a nearby forest, in the same county, or preferably within 10 miles from where you’ll have your fire. Take care to respect all state and local regulations on the movement of firewood and other unprocessed wood – some areas are subject to serious fines for violations. For more information, visit https://www.dontmovefirewood.org/the-problem/state-state-information/index.html.

• Be on the lookout for invasive pests, and if you notice an insect or tree disease you don’t recognize, take a photo or obtain a specimen of it, and compare it to Web site photos of the suspected pest. A good resource to help in identification is: https://www.dontmovefirewood.org/gallery-of-pests.
• If you believe you have found a new outbreak of an invasive insect or disease, contact your state department of agriculture: https://www.rma.usda.gov/other/stateag.html.

 

 

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The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. The Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 18 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 117 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit us on the Web at www.nature.org.

 

 

To learn more about how to prevent forest pests from destroying forests, log onto www.dontmovefirewood.org.