US Virgin Islands - Don't Move Firewood

Bringing firewood into the U.S. Virgin Islands presents a serious risk to the islands’ natural and agricultural resources. Harmful forest pests often lurk in wood products, like firewood, and escape to invade new areas when moved from one location to another. Island habitats are especially vulnerable to invasive insects and diseases which could cause irrevocable damage if they are introduced. As a result, any wood products, including firewood, that are brought to the U.S. Virgin Islands need to be certified heat-treated to ensure they are pest-free. Also, firewood should not be transported from one U.S. Virgin Island to another.

Bringing firewood into the United States from the U.S. Virgin Islands also poses a serious risk to the forests and agricultural resources of the United States. For this reason, you must present any plant or agricultural materials you have to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer to be inspected for pests and diseases before you enter the U.S. mainland. Further, all wood packaging material entering or transiting the United States from the U.S. Virgin Islands must be heat-treated or fumigated and marked with an approved certification logo. Please also be aware that many U.S. states have their own rules and regulations regarding firewood. For example, it is against state law to bring un-certified firewood into Florida from anywhere that is over 50 miles outside the state border.

To prevent you the spread of harmful pests, never travel long distances with firewood; instead, obtain firewood where you burn it.

This summary is accurate to the best of DMF staff abilities as of 1 August 2022.

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