Utah prohibits the importation of firewood from areas of the United States and Canada that are quarantined for pests that hitchhike on firewood (e.g., Asian longhorned beetle, emerald ash borer, spongy moth, spotted lanternfly, and others) unless the shipment is heat-treated or meets other precautionary rules set by the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF). Utah also bans the entry of ash firewood due to the threat of emerald ash borer. This means it is against the law to bring firewood into Utah from most out-of-state sources.
To prevent the spread of harmful tree pests, Utah’s Department of Agriculture and Food strongly encourages the use of local firewood; buy it where you burn it. They provide the following best practices for firewood collection and purchasing:
- It is not a good idea to move firewood far from where it is collected
- Firewood should never be moved more than 50 miles from its source (less than 10 is ideal)
- Personally collected firewood should not be transported across state lines
- Wood harvested in Utah is best; out-of-state firewood must comply with heat-treatment and labelling requirements
This summary is accurate to the best of DMF staff abilities as of 7 September 2022.
Utah Web Resources:
- Utah Firewood Quarantine
- Utah Administrative Rules Related to Firewood
- Insects and Diseases, Utah Division of Forestry
- Insect and Pest Program, UDAF
- Report an Invasive Pest in Utah
Utah Pest Specific Resources
- Emerald Ash Borer Quarantine
- Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey: Featured Pests, Utah State University
- Tree and Shrub Pests, Utah State University
- Imported Fire Ant Information and Quarantine Map
- Spongy Moth Fact Sheet, Utah State University
- Velvet longhorned beetle, DMF pest profile
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