The North Dakota Department of Agriculture (NDDA) has an emerald ash borer quarantine which makes it against the law to move firewood into North Dakota from any of the states where the emerald ash borer is present. Many states in the Great Plains region near North Dakota have areas under quarantine to prevent the further spread of pests such as emerald ash borer, spongy moth, and Asian longhorned beetle; this means it is illegal to take uncertified firewood out of those quarantined zones. Emerald ash borer has also been detected in LaMoure County. This area is under quarantine meaning firewood cannot legally be taken out of LaMoure County. NDDA officials urge residence and visitors to be vigilant and proactive to prevent the spread of this pest in the state; this means not traveling with firewood – for more information, see this NDDA press release.
The ND Department of Agriculture, ND Forest Service, and NDSU Extension ND Parks and Recreation have some recommendations for firewood users:
- Don’t bring firewood into North Dakota from out-of-state
- Firewood should be bought and used locally to prevent the spread of pests entering the ND as well as within the state
- Ideally, firewood should be transported less than 50 miles from its origin.
The ND Forest Service prohibits out-of-state firewood at their campgrounds, and they will provide a free bundle of firewood for each paid campsite. Similarly, USFS Dakota Prairie Grasslands implemented new firewood restrictions which can be found here.
Bringing firewood from Canada into the USA is prohibited unless the firewood is labeled and certified heat-treated. Read about these requirements on the USDA and CBP firewood information sheet.
Bringing firewood from the USA into Canada is prohibited unless the firewood is labeled and certified heat-treated. Canada also encourages visitors to use local firewood.
Need to find local firewood in ND? Visit Firewood Scout
This summary is accurate to the best of DMF staff abilities as of 16 December 2024.
North Dakota Web Resources:
- Firewood Page, ND Department of Agriculture (NDDA)
- Firewood Finder, NDDA
- ND Invasives, North Dakota State University
- USFS Dakota Prairie Grasslands Firewood Restrictions, USFS
- Emerald Ash Borer Information, NDDA
- Emerald Ash Borer Quarantine in North Dakota
- Spongy Moth Information, USDA APHIS
- Spongy Moth Federal Quarantine Area (Map), USDA APHIS
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