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Let's finish up this week right with a question for our advice column, Dear Don't Move Firewood.

 

Dear Don't Move Firewood,

 

Can I bring either or both Cottonwood and/or Pecan firewood into California from Arizona?  I have relatives there  and access to such wood…. I would be bringing the wood on the I-10 through the Blythe area. The Cottonwood would be coming from Globe, AZ and the Pecan from the Gilbert/Phoenix area.  I'm not sure which I would get, probably the Pecan as I think it may burn better? (Ed. note: question lightly edited for clarity)

 

Thanks,

Jim from California

 

Dear Jim,

 

I posed your question to the local expert, Don Owen from the Calif. Dept. of Forestry and Fire Protection. He's the chair of the California Firewood Task Force. Here's his response:

 

"The CA Firewood Task Force does not recommend bringing firewood of any kind into the state unless it has been treated to eliminated pests.  There is no quarantine that prevents the movement of this wood, but if it is infested with insects or other pests, the CA Agricultural Border Stations may confiscate and destroy it."

 

My opinion, as the manager of Don't Move Firewood, is that moving cottonwood and pecan wood this far is really not a good idea and you shouldn't do it. Even if you lived in Blythe (which it looks like you live farther West into CA given your email, but setting that aside) you'd be moving this wood over 240 miles- that's almost five times the very maximum recommended distance for moving firewood.

 

There are many tree pests even in the arid areas of Arizona that you'd risk transporting. Did you know that the goldspotted oak borer, which has killed tens of thousands of oaks in San Diego County, might have gotten there from firewood originating in Arizona? You'd hate to be responsible for killing tens of thousands of California pecan trees, accidentally, if your wood had some previously unknown pests within it.

 

So here's the bottom line- please don't move that firewood. Truthfully, it wouldn't be against the law to do it, but it isn't a good decision, and it may end up confiscated at the CA border anyway.

 

Thanks for asking!

 

 

 

 

There is a new study just released that shows there is a link between losing a lot of trees in your neighborhood and declining health of the residents in that area. It is a fascinating read, and it underscores the critical importance of not bringing in firewood from far away (which can start an infestation that then decimates the trees) and also reporting any odd pests or damage quickly, so that you might lose one tree instead of all of them.

 

One thing I think gets a little lost in some of the other reporting of this article is that the emerald ash borer really has nearly nothing to do with the big picture. The scientists used neighborhoods that had been infested with EAB not because there is something particularly dangerous or bad about EAB, but because it is a pest that kills a lot of trees in many places. This same study could have easily been done with neighborhoods affected by Dutch Elm Disease in the 1930's and 1940's, for instance (had the technology and information been there for the research, of course). Likewise, it is important to remember that control methods for EAB, ALB, and other insects and diseases remove trees from neighborhoods that are going to lose all their trees no matter what. It isn't like ignoring the pests and dead and dying trees results in less damage. In fact, the most direct result of not controlling pests is the loss of more trees over the long run.

 

 

 

 

We have a list of Frequently Asked Questions that addresses the perennial “how far is too far?” and a few other questions. But what about the other things people ask? Let’s try to read your mind…

Why didn’t I hear about this 20 years ago? Seriously, is this a new problem, or what?

You can easily argue that accidentally moving pests on contaminated firewood has been a problem pretty much since the invention of the automobile. The first problematic invasive forest pests on record arrived in North America in the late 1800’s, and some of them (like spongy moth) move easily on firewood. However, the issue has only gained national traction since scientists and land managers reached a good understanding of the huge role that firewood has played in the spread of emerald ash borer (EAB). EAB was discovered in the USA in 2002, so in that regard the problem is indeed new to the public eye.

Who runs this website?

The Nature Conservancy is the manager of the international Don’t Move Firewood campaign, and operates this website on a day-to-day basis. We also have a lot of partner organizations that help us craft our overall strategies and messages on the website from time to time.

How is this all funded?

Don’t Move Firewood has a wide variety of funding groups, with the current largest being funds from USDA-APHIS. We are proud to list all our funding sources here.

I see that most of your blogs are written by L. Greenwood. Is that the same L. Greenwood as this?

Nope. Totally different L. Greenwood.

Excellent question for our advice column, Dear Don't Move Firewood…

 

Dear Don't Move Firewood,

Maybe I've missed it on your site but I don't see any information on where to find firewood locally. We just bought a vacation home on Whidbey Island but so far I am not aware of a reputable firewood seller. Any information you have would be appreciated.

Yours,

Thoughtful Burner

 

Dear Thoughtful,

You didn't miss it- we actually don't have information on exactly where to find local firewood on our site. It'd be nearly impossible to keep that sort of database up to date, and it'd be completely impossible to verify each vendor. Sorry!

 

Instead, I will offer some advice. You have two options; commercially kiln-dried firewood, or bulk regular firewood. If you want kiln-dried wood (which given that your new house is in one of the rainiest parts of the country might be a good idea), then you can go to most large retailers and look around for a stamp on the package that says something like Heat Treated or Kiln Dried. Of course, this wood is more expensive than bulk regular firewood, so if you are planning to use wood fuel to exclusively heat your house, you need another option.

 

Untreated firewood straight from the forest or woodpile is lowest risk if it comes from a nearby source (ideally, under 10 miles). So a great way to find firewood is to ask around your neighborhood for where they buy wood- in this case, you'd want to find a seller of wood that cuts and distributes it all within Whidbey Island. Looking at a map of your area, another option might be wood collected with permit on the West slope of Mt Baker National Forest. I don't think farther than that is a very good idea.

 

Good luck!

 

Are you celebrating the start of 2013 this weekend by doing some "out with the old, in with the new" kinda house cleaning, decoration disposal, and more? If so, please remember to read our tips (from a blog post last year) on how to get rid of old christmas trees and other tree decorations.

 

Alternatively, if you are planning on taking this first weekend of 2013 to go skiing, check out our second ski video, Ski Bro Talk Trees by Glen Plake!

 

Are you excited for winter? We have two new videos out this month featuring the famous and amazing skier with a sweet mohawk, Glen Plake, and his love for trees. Check out the first of these two videos here and share it with your friends!

 

A reader question today regarding using wood from down the road.

 

Dear Don't Move Firewood,

We have one ash tree in our yard. We also burn wood. We have a chance to get some wood down the street from us, but it is an ash tree and we don't know if the ash borer dies off at a time, hibernates, we just don't want to bring the borer to our house for our tree, but we need the wood to burn at our house. Can you help me? Thank You for your time in this matter.

Yours,

Rita

 

Dear Rita,

Using wood from a tree that is truly just from down the street- like under a mile or two- is not going to cause any problems, barring the unlikely chance the street itself directly crosses a regulated-to-unregulated county or state line. The emerald ash borer can fly a few miles on its own, so when we are talking very short distances like that, there is no harm to be done.

 

You also have a really good question about whether the emerald ash borer "dies off, hibernates…" Indeed, like many pests, the emerald ash borer spends the winter in a dormant (like hibernating) state within the wood. So if you want to be super careful about your neighbor's ash wood that you are planning on burning- burn it first! Use their wood up in the midst of winter, when the pests are dormant in the wood, and any very small risks you were taking by moving the wood that short distance become even smaller risks.

 

Good luck and I'm so glad I can help you find a safe source of wood to heat your home.

 

 

 

 

Over the Thanksgiving weekend, we got a request for a permit to move a cord of firewood across New England, through several states and over 160 miles. For one thing, we don't have the authority to give out permits. But more importantly- this isn't a good idea. New England has a wide variety of forest pests, many of which have only a few locations where they are infesting the trees. Moving firewood that far has the potential to make a new infestation- one literally right in your backyard.

 

So, can you legally take a cord of wood from central Vermont, through New Hampshire, and then use it all winter in Southern Massachusetts, right near the Rhode Island border? Technically, yes, assuming you don't drive through the quarantined area around Worcester in central Massachusetts and put yourself in a position to accidentally violate the terms of the Asian longhorned beetle quarantine. But please don't move firewood that far. Even if you did burn it all by April, when insects and diseases in the wood could emerge, it simply isn't a smart move for the health of your trees and forests.

 

 

 

 

It is that time of year again, when everyone starts emailing us here at Don’t Move Firewood to ask the excellent, pertinent, logical question: BUT WHAT ABOUT CHRISTMAS TREES?

Easy! Just like firewood- buy local, and/or buy from a reputable dealer. Christmas trees are actually a pretty well regulated product, so as long as you are buying from a licensed local business, your potential to accidentally spread pests is very low. For our full listing on this topic, visit our Holiday Greenery Resource Page. Happy Holiday Season!

This just in! Don't Move Firewood's official press release for Superstorm Sandy in regards to tree health, safety, and awareness.

The Importance of Trees in Hurricane Sandy:

How to Keep our Trees Healthy and Resilient in the Aftermath

Hurricane Sandy took down countless trees along the East Coast this week—toppling onto cars and
buildings, blocking roads, and tragically causing the deaths of at least a dozen people along the East
Coast. In the aftermath of severe storms like this, trees get lots of attention and are pointed to as the
cause of loss of power and damage to property. However, while some trees do come down in high wind
and extreme weather events, the majority of healthy trees survive severe storms and slow down high
winds while absorbing both excess rainfall and heavy storm waters.

In the wake of major storms like Hurricane Sandy, it is extremely important to remember that moving
storm debris, limbs, and downed trees over long distances can inadvertently spread tree-killing insects
to new places. Many areas affected by Hurricane Sandy are under quarantines that specifically prohibit
the movement of tree-based storm debris (including debris that has been cut into pieces of firewood).

Nearly all the states affected by Hurricane Sandy have at least one quarantined county that regulates
the movement of wood in order to minimize the spread of invasive tree pests such as Asian longhorned
beetle and emerald ash borer. Storm debris from downed trees and branches should be disposed of using one
of the following safer ways: brought to a local solid waste facility (i.e. landfill), set out for or brought to a
licensed city composting facility, brought to a registered storm debris disposal yard, or used on site for
firewood. Consult local newspapers and storm information to find out which of these options is best in
your area.

It is especially important to remember that trees planted near homes and roads need to be properly
pruned to minimize potential damage and failure, especially near power lines. When planting new trees,
it is helpful to select a species that will not grow too tall and interfere with power lines to minimize
future damage. As cities look to replant choosing the right tree and putting the right tree in the right
place will create a more sustainable—and storm resistant—landscape for years to come.

Despite the damage trees can cause in extreme weather events, healthy trees in urban and suburban
areas are important for a safer and cleaner urban infrastructure. Trees provide the many benefits to
both people and wildlife in city settings:

• Improving water quality by minimizing erosion, slowing the flow of precipitation, and minimizing
flooding during heavy rain events
• Mitigating climate change by removing carbon dioxide from the air, regulating local climate by
lowering daily temperature variation, and reducing energy expenditure on heating and cooling
• Providing shade and improving local air quality by removing air pollutants and producing oxygen
• Creating valuable habitat for wildlife, and shade and a natural environment for city residents

###

Learn more about The Right Tree in the Right Place at the Arbor Day Foundation

https://www.arborday.org/trees/rightTreeAndPlace/

To learn more about the issue of the movement of firewood, please visit
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.