firewood!!!

[Ryan_V]

With the emerald ash borer now found in MN, I'd bet there won't be a park that allows you to bring in your own firewood for quite some time. I've already gotten e-mails from half of our usual spots we camp with a "no outside firewood" policy. We visit larger, family oriented campgrounds, and county and state parks. I've got 4 cords of cut, split, and dried wood that I'll have to just use at home!! I've started to scavange building sites for scrap construction lumber as parks do allow that in. Lets hope that this thing gets fixed so we can use our own firewood!!! I spend alot of money to camp at these places and can't afford to purchase firewood there too!! Not their fault though.....darn little bugs!!!

[lindy rig]

It's a bummer. I think that the gov. should help "subsidize" the approved firewood at the campgrounds. Make it $2-3 for one of those crappy bundles and not $5-6. To the average person looking to get away and camp that makes for a very expensive fire. Need to find a better solution.

[IFallsRon]

I haven't been asked if I've brought wood since the new law went into effect. My source is a woodworking shop that puts out wagons of scrap hardwood on a daily basis. I'm competing with old people who use the wood to heat their homes.

I think that there were fewer fires at the state park I stayed this Memorial Weekend.

[Ryan_V]

I just get mad because I have alot of blood sweat and tears into my firewood pile in my woodshed. Like you said, lindy, the wood at some places isn't worth $1 a bundle and they sell it for $6. Most places we go aren't that bad, but when I've got 4 cords in my shed at home, just makes me mad. Maybe I should sell it, if I sold what I have for how much some of those gas stations sell for, I'd be a millionaire!! But bottom line...as irritating as it is, we do need to do what we can to help stop the spread of this thing!!! I need to hit more construction sites for firewood now!!!

[woodsmanmn]

I cut my own firewood for heating and camping. Couldn't stand the thought of buying wood when I have my big pile right here. So I went to the dnr and got myself setup as an approved wood vendor. It's free to do and now my wood is documented to be ok within 100 miles of home.

[Ryan_V]

I cut my own firewood for heating and camping. Couldn't stand the thought of buying wood when I have my big pile right here. So I went to the dnr and got myself setup as an approved wood vendor. It's free to do and now my wood is documented to be ok within 100 miles of home.

how does one go about being an "approved vendor"??? thats a great idea..

[woodsmanmn]

There is an application form to become an approved vendor on the DNR web site.

[Ryan_V]

thanks woodsmanmn...I looked at that, what did you treat it with?? also, did you pull all your bark off, or do you do it as you use it? do they inspect?

[woodsmanmn]

The application is confusing. You select option 'A', the wood was harvested within 100 miles of where you are burning it. Then you declare what township and county the wood comes from. Local wood needs no special treatment.

Option 'B' is for wood that was not harvested locally.

For Proof of Purchase, the DNR gave me a page of printed receipts that you can copy for more receipts.

I carry my completed application form with me when I'm using the wood. We camp in state forest campgrounds and have had the ranger stop by, But I've never been checked for my wood. That was last year. That should change now that the borer has been found in Minnesota.

[Ryan_V]

sweet, thanks I'm going to fill it out!! I'm finding some private campgrounds we go to say they aren't allowing approved vendor firewood at all either, it's either buy theirs, or bring in scraps from wood shops/construction sites!!!

[woodsmanmn]

It's hard to blame a private campground for restricting firewood. They are protecting their own property and investment. A campground with no trees isn't much more than a parking lot.