Why You Should Reconsider Bringing Your Own Firewood To A Campsite
By Hilary I. Lebow
VACATIONS
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) wants nature lovers to be very selective about where their wood comes from. It turns out the whole forest is at stake.
Even if you think a piece of firewood looks healthy, invasive species could still be burrowed beneath the surface. Pests can stick around for over three years inside the wood.
To complicate matters, insect eggs could be as small as the size of a pinhead, and fungal spores may only be visible under a microscope. This means that looks can be deceiving.
In the wild, tree-harming insects can only travel a few miles, but they can travel hundreds of miles in the car of an unsuspecting camper, bringing disease to healthy forests.
In general, you'll want to "buy it where you'll burn it," according to Don't Move Firewood. Source your firewood as locally as possible, and don’t take it farther than 50 miles.
Learn the rules in your local area by checking the firewood map from Don't Move Firewood, and when camping, gather wood at the campground yourself or check the campground store.