Firewood Movement Regulations FYI

[MainelyUS]

There is a great thread going on about "How to build a fire" in GCD Forum.

But here is a separate thread about the laws concerning the transportation of firewood for the entire FRF membership's benefit.
34 states and all provinces have firewood movement regulations. Out of the 16 state w/o regs 10 are advocating leaving firewood at home.

Due to the increase of invasive beetles such as the emerald ash borer, Japanese longhorn beetle, bark beetle many states/provinces through out the US & Canada have enacted laws regarding the transportation of fw btw countries, from state-to-state and even between counties within the state. Check out this website about transporting fw in your neck of the world.
Don't Move Firewood

Some states will allow you to transport fw IF the fw has a Firewood Heat Treatment Certification fixed to it.

Good rule-of-thumb to remember "is buy local-burn local"

Happy Trails

[Flybob]

X2

[aceinspp]

X 3 Have known this for years. Later RJD

[rsdata]

related to firewood...
just my 2 cents worth... thanks for hearing me out

I know a nice camp fire is a great thing to have... HOWEVER... firewood is no longer CHEAP or plentiful to gather... and as this thread attests to it is not a good thing to bring in your own anymore...

Today, I just paid a logger to take down a dead ASH tree on my property that was hanging over my garage... took 2 hours to safely take it down and now I have a pile of branches and logs to deal with... although it will go into my fireplace this winter and not go to waste.

I invested in a propane fired fire ring and I luv it... I bought it at Sams Club two years ago and have used it many places from the UP to FL since then... no more smelly smokey fires that I have to deal with. A 20# propane tank will last 6-8 hours or more depending on how high the flames are set... cheaper then buying firewood. I figure I have saved the cost of the fire ring at least twice in two years including the cost of propane. Instant ON/OFF... AND I hear that places that BAN campfires DO NOT ban controlled propane fire rings!

I instantly light the fire ring and can cook burgers, dogs, or steaks in a campfire basket and popcorn in a popper on a known even heat source if I want... or stare for hours at the flames dancing around from the lava rock base before I go to bed. It also gives off some heat on those chilly nights.

It seems that to me that flames are flames. No matter how they are produced they still mesmerize campers late at night.

I now thoroughly detest the ash on my camper and awning and smoke from a neighboring camper's fire, when there is an alternative.

Do yourself a favor and look to purchase a propane fired camp fire ring to take camping with you. Mine weighs about 35# plus the un-attached tank.

Your campground neighbors will (maybe) envy and thank you.

PS I do donate $6 or so for a bundle of firewood when the profits go to the campground... I just leave the firewood on the pile for someone else to purchase.

[mud yapster]

Sorry I'll be sticking to good old wood I like the smell. Take the chain saw there are always dead trees laying around were we go. Happy Camping enjoy.

[larryo]

I love campfires but I don't want to break any laws. We have gone out 3 times so far this year. All in Manitoba. Tulibe falls, Falcon lake and Birds Hill. I called ahead and was told by all 3 parks to bring my own wood. I am lucky to live not too far from a plant that makes pallets. In the process they have left over slabs and sell them dirt cheap. $20 for all that you can heap into your pickup truck. I cross into Minnesota twice a week and US customs has told me that slabs are considered to be "processed " wood and is OK to transport across the border. Alls good here. FYI : Birds Hill is absolutely beautiful. Sites are fully treed. You cannot see your neighbor and it's only 20 minutes from Winnipeg.

[itat]

"buy local-burn local"

Excellent advice which I fully subscribe to. If you've ever seen a forest that's been devastated by these invasive insects and diseases, you'll follow that rule, too. It's an absolute shame what they done to some of our forests.

[NCBBA11043]

I agree with the concept of "buy local-burn local". However . . .
I can't tell you how many time I purchase overpriced poor quality firewood (mostly directly from the state park we are staying at) only to find out it was cut down last week. OK, so I am exaggerating . . . a little. The wood they sell is crap. It's wet or not seasoned. You can't get it to burn. You're lucky if you can get it to smolder. If you don't want me to bring my own firewood, sell me something I can use. I have a fireplace at home, so I buy wood by the face cord. A bundle of wood from a campground runs me more than twice the price than what I pay (for the same amount). I'd be willing to buy it IF IT BURNS.

[dieselguy]

Not to say this isn't a valid concern, but enforcing buy where you burn it will be about as hard as trying to make boaters make sure their hulls are free of zebra muscles when they take the boat out of the lake ... alot of campers just won't take the time. Like mentioned ... I like a good wood fire and know how to fire up the ole Stihl to make that happen.

[itat]

Originally Posted by NCBBA11043

I agree with the concept of "buy local-burn local". However . . .
I can't tell you how many time I purchase overpriced poor quality firewood (mostly directly from the state park we are staying at) only to find out it was cut down last week. OK, so I am exaggerating . . . a little. The wood they sell is crap. It's wet or not seasoned. You can't get it to burn. You're lucky if you can get it to smolder. If you don't want me to bring my own firewood, sell me something I can use. I have a fireplace at home, so I buy wood by the face cord. A bundle of wood from a campground runs me more than twice the price than what I pay (for the same amount). I'd be willing to buy it IF IT BURNS.

Understandable...., I've had the same experience. But "buy local" doesn't mean you have to buy from the state park. Search for a source of reasonably dry firewood that's local to where you're staying.

[MainelyUS]

NCBBA11043,
I total get having a wood fire and the frustrations with trying to burn sub-par wood particularly when buying fw at a campground.
I showed DW rsdata post (noted above) about propane fire rings....we are seriously thinking of purchasing one for those "away trips".

Happy Trails

[Black]

Originally Posted by NCBBA11043

I agree with the concept of "buy local-burn local". However . . .
I can't tell you how many time I purchase overpriced poor quality firewood (mostly directly from the state park we are staying at) only to find out it was cut down last week. OK, so I am exaggerating . . . a little. The wood they sell is crap. It's wet or not seasoned. You can't get it to burn. You're lucky if you can get it to smolder. If you don't want me to bring my own firewood, sell me something I can use. I have a fireplace at home, so I buy wood by the face cord. A bundle of wood from a campground runs me more than twice the price than what I pay (for the same amount). I'd be willing to buy it IF IT BURNS.

I agree 100% with you
I bring my own...harvested in my 36 acres forest.

[Flybob]

Granted you don't always get seasoned hardwood when you purchase wood from a state campground, but before you are too critical, stop one of the rangers next time you are there and ask them how much wood they go through a year. You will be very shocked. In addition, much if not all of the wood is the result of maintenance operations in the park. In most parks a lot of time and effort goes into insuring that campers and their equipment are not injured or damaged by falling trees or limbs.

It is easy to rationalize that the one emerald ash borer you may accidentally transport to the park will not do much damage, but one turns in to many very quickly and before you know it the ash trees are gone. A perfect campfire is not worth the loss of a forest.

[Grampa Jim]

You just can't beat the good old smell of burning wood. Propane isn't my cup of tea. And when it comes to grilling,,,,,I'll take charcoal over propane any day. Try grilling some Jimmy Dean Breakfast Sausage on charcoal....then try it on propane. All the difference in the world!! Buy your wood local.....You could very well be stopped at a state border inspection station. We did at California/Oregon. "Don't be bringing that crap in here!!!"

[SequimCamper]

We also love our propane fireplace. fast, warm, safer in dry conditions, & no need to think about anything except having enough propane, which we need anyway. Bought ours at Costco.

[Black]

What is the definition of "local"...next door neighbor , 15 minutes drive , 1 hour away , same county , same province ???
That's the main question,

[Grampa Jim]

It's usually state controlled,,,,,but I'd be cautious about transporting wood from one forest to another even if it's within the same state. I was witness to the North American Elm years ago that disappeared from the face of the earth because of the Dutch Elm Disease from the Japanese Beatles. Sometimes,,,it doesn't matter what we do....nature will take it's course, but we shouldn't be pushing nature along. I remember in 2008 when we were in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina where some bug was killing certain trees and not even touching a different tree right next to it. Go figure.

[Oaklevel]

Unfortunately or fortunately it keeps many campers from cutting their own wood on their own land and bring it and the pests along for the ride.

[Flybob]

"Local" varies and in the case of wood borne insects is generally considered from one forest region to another.

[thetanu539]

We typically find a reasonably priced local firewood vendor. Sometimes this is a local business and other times this is an individual who sells firewood. I will say I have ended up with crap wood a few times, but when we used to use wood bought at the CG we always got crap firewood.

We typically buy local not only for the purpose of protecting the forests, but also for the purpose of saving weight.