Great and short inquiry this week from the Granite State!
Dear Don't Move Firewood,
Living in N.H. and would like to know if you have your own trees from yard cut down can we bring them to our campground in N.H.?
Yours,
Marilyn
Dear Marilyn,
As I read it, your question is "if you live in New Hampshire, and you cut down a tree in your own backyard to make firewood, can you then take that firewood to a campground that is also in New Hampshire?" I have two answers; one from me, and one from Laura Beard, NH Forest Pest Outreach and Survey Project Coordinator. Let's start with her answer!
Laura says, "New Hampshire's firewood quarantine is an exterior quarantine, so you cannot transport firewood into the state. If you are moving firewood within the state, you are fine. You can always refer to the NH Department of Agriculture's Firewood Quarantine website- http://agriculture.nh.gov/divisions/plant_industry/firewood-quarantine.htm Thank you so much for being aware and vigilant about this!"
OK, but here is where I respectfully disagree. Even though it is not illegal, or against any state regulations, in my opinion it isn't a good idea to move firewood very far even within the state of New Hampshire. Did you know that New Hampshire is 180 miles tall? That's far. It would take over 60 years for the natural spread of a pest like emerald ash borer to cross your whole state... or just one long afternoon in your pickup truck on the way to a campsite. So yes, if you are moving firewood from your yard to a campsite that is just 10 miles away, then that's not a big deal. But if you are taking it from Nashua to Berlin, I personally thing that is not a wise choice.
