FIREWOOD CAN SPREAD PESTS

By Carol Stocker. In Worcester, MA, more than 28,000 trees have been removed due to the
invasion of the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB), turning Worcester’s once
canopied streets into stark naked roadways. Experts think a small ALB
infestation discovered and controlled this past summer in Boston may have
been from beetles that escaped out of Worcester, potentially on firewood or
brush.
Thirty-five percent of firewood is brought from another location, increasing
risk of invasion from forest pests. With winter here, people across the country are engaging in a centuries-old tradition of buying or gathering firewood to fuel home fires. In a recent
poll conducted by The Nature Conservancy, one in twenty Americans said they
moved firewood long distances (i.e., more than 50 miles, a distance widely
accepted as moving it “too far”). Moving firewood can increase the risk of
new invasive pest infestations that kill trees. To prevent the spread of
these pests, the Don’t Move Firewood campaign recommends buying firewood
that was cut locally, preferably within the same county or region of where
it will be burned.
“DCR is pleased to join the Nature Conservancy in urging everyone not to
move firewood across regions in Massachusetts and especially across state
borders,” said Department of Conservation and Recreation Commissioner Rick
Sullivan. “Invasive species have devastated forests in other parts of the
country, and we thank residents and visitors alike for helping prevent that
from happening in Massachusetts.”
Transporting firewood can potentially create new infestations of invasive
insects and diseases, which can lurk in firewood at any time of the year.
These tree-killing pests cannot move far on their own, but when people move
firewood that harbors them, they unwittingly enable these pests to start an
infestation far from their current range. Past invaders have devastated
native species of trees such as the American chestnut, hemlock, and American
elm- tree species, which have been part of American forests and city streets
for centuries prior to invasion of foreign pests.
“These new poll results tell us that when people learn why they shouldn’t
transport firewood long distances, the vast majority are willing to buy it
where they burn it,” said Leigh Greenwood, Don’t Move Firewood campaign
manager, The Nature Conservancy. “People have the power to save their trees.
They can help stop the spread of destructive pests by not moving firewood
and communicating this message to others.”
The poll results indicate that only 34 percent of the respondents who use
firewood have heard that they should not move firewood long distances;
however, once they are aware of the problem, 80 percent would be willing to
buy the wood in the area where they plan to burn it. In regions of the
country hardest hit by invasive pests, the number of people who have heard
the message to not move firewood has increased from 38 percent in 2007, when
the poll was previously conducted, to 59 percent in this year’s poll
results. In these same regions, from 2007 to 2010 the poll indicates there
has been a 13 percent increase in the number of people that say they never
move firewood.
“For the protection of our farms and working landscapes, particularly of our
maple sugaring industry, we urge residents and visitors to refrain from
moving firewood over long distances, especially in and out of Asian
longhorned beetle regulated areas this winter season,” said Massachusetts
Department of Agricultural Resources Commissioner Scott Soares. “We thank
The Nature Conservancy for their continued effort in getting this important
message to the public.”
“Burning a wood fire in the winter has a lot of different uses – a primary
heat source, a place for a family gathering, or part of a romantic evening
by the fire,” said Greenwood. “When firewood comes from a well managed local
forest, it’s a great alternative to using fossil fuels like oil and natural
gas. We just ask that when using firewood for these purposes, people help
protect their local trees by not risking the accidental movement of insects
and diseases that can wipe out entire forests.”
Following are tips from the Don’t Move Firewood campaign:
• 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 at a
maximum of 50 miles from where you'll have your fire.
• Don’t be tempted to get firewood from a remote location just because
the wood looks clean and healthy. It could still harbor tiny insect eggs or
microscopic fungal spores that will start a new and deadly infestation of
forest pests.
• Aged or seasoned wood is not considered safe to move, but
commercially kiln-dried wood is a good option if you must transport
firewood.
• If you have already moved firewood, and you now know you need to
dispose of it safely, burn it soon and completely. Make sure to rake the
storage area carefully and also burn the debris. In the future, buy from a
local source.
• Tell your friends and others about the risks of moving firewood – no
one wants to be responsible for starting a new pest infestation.
To learn more about how to prevent forest pests from destroying forests, log
onto www.dontmovefirewood.org.
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