The problem of moving firewood exists because somehow, somewhere, iInvasive insects and diseases are already in the country. Moving firewood spreads them once they are here- but how do they get here?
The answer is complicated. Basically, pests get here via international movement of goods- whether in or on the goods themselves (like in an imported sapling), on the packing materials (like in the wood of a pallet used to protect a product) or even just stuck to the side of something (like adhering to a shipping container, or stuck to a piece of imported stone).
Right now, you can publically comment on a regulation that could really help prevent pests from hitchhiking here on plant materials (like bulbs or seedlings). The regulation deals with a specific category of plants that are at high risk, specifically by establishing a category of plants that would be not authorized for importation because they need a formal analysis of how much risk they present to contain pests.
If you are interested in learning more about steps you can take to comment on this regulation, here are two places to start. The Continental Dialogue on Non-native Insects and Disease, which is the group that runs this site, will be creating a sign-on letter for any interested parties, and if you want to learn more about that, you can email info (at) continentalforestdialogue (dot) org. Another avenue is that you can comment directly on Regulations.gov by looking up Docket APHIS-2006-00111and submitting your own comments there.
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