Got my firewood confiscated

[Ryan_V]

Went to a state park camping this last weekend and the ranger took my firewood, even after a long arguement. when did this change?? on the HSOforum and even on my confirmation e-mail they sent me that I printed out it just says they don't "recommend" you bring your own wood, especially over 100 miles. my house is under 50 miles from the park. my trees that I use weren't dead/decaying/diseased trees. they were cut to make room for a power line. I was livid to say the least. I had a large amount of fire wood that I took alot of time effort to cut and split myself to save money from the buying the razer thin wood they sell you for $3 or more a bundle. I just checked the HSOforum again, and nowhere does it say that outside firewood is not allowed, they just recommend against it. I did get half price on their bundles, that must have been recently cut as it was still pretty wet and harder to burn than my nice dry wood. that is the stupidest thing I've ever heard of. even if it did have a bug in it, I'm going to BURN IT!!! needless to say I won't be visiting state parks again.

If someone can enlighten me as to when it changed that you can't bring your own firewood in, I'd appreciate it. Like I said, the information I had just said they recommend you don't bring your own firewood. they wouldn't even let me pick it up on my way out.

[bwtrout]

Minnesota Firewood Ban

The same goes for Wisconsin and Canada.

[dirtking]

"Ash borers have killed millions of ash trees in Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana."

From the reports I have heard it is just a matter of time before this bug invades our ash trees and it will pretty much wipe them out. They are just trying to slow its advance

[Dave]

I read that before camping season began in the State Park Vistor paper that I get.

[nofishfisherman]

It was also on every news station this spring.

[scaup]

It's a bad deal. I bring a lot of my own wood to the parks and really enjoy the fires we have. However, it is a small price to pay to help slow the spread of the bore. It seems like another sign of the times. Everything is a little more complicated than it used to be.

[fishroger]

Emerald ash borer is the reason. They have had some commericials and lots of literature on it. It is spread by people transporting firewood , especially ash. I know it seems restrictive but if EAB gets to minnesota kiss every ash tree good bye. They attack healthy ash trees. If your familiar with northern minneosota you know there are millons of black ash and it would look like a moon scape if EAB gets established, not to mention quite a fire hazard. Millions of trees have been lost in Michigan. They can also fly, but the spread is slower. So if they are transported it makes it much quicker for them to be introduced. They learned there lesson with Dutch elm disease. The parks people are just doing there job, Im sure its not easy for them.

[Powerstroke]

Emerald ash borer is the number one reason but there are also the Gypsy Moth, Asian Longhorn beetle, Dutch Elm disease, Oak Wilt and a bunch of other things that can be spread.

It does suck that a lot of hard work and effort went into that wood, but its been published everywhere. The ban actually went into effect after the camping season started.

Depending on how much wood it was I mighty have driven home and dumped it. Probably wouldn't have saved you any money on gas but oh well.

I'm sure every state park is different, but the bundles of wood we got in Grand Rapids were probably the largest I've ever seen. We got thick split chunks of wood that lasted quite a while. It was dry too.

Only thing I would say is contact the DNR and complain in a calm and rational manner.

[fishing tech]

They close a state park in WI because of an out break of Gypsy moth. But they won't spray. Why????????

[Powerstroke]

Almost impossible to spray for them. Its a timing issue for starters, but the same product that would kill the moth larvae would also kill many other insects that provide a positive impact on our ecosystem.

[Bobb-o]

i work for the Dept of Ag doing gypsy moth detection work. really the only aerial spraying they do for gypsy moth is called BT. it is a biodegradeable sex pheremone that is used later in the season to confuse the male moths, basically they fly around not being able to find a mate and die from exhaustion.

[Hammer Handle]

I hope you didn't argue with the park ranger too much, he did the right thing.

There is so many ash trees in MN, it is hard to imagine what it would be like if they were all gone. I hope they find a "cure" before the bugs get here.

And yes, it is that serious.

[irvingdog]

If you're young enough to remember all the amazing elms that liked the parkways of the twin cities, you'd have no problem giving up your wood....

By the way, BT paralyzes the digestive system. It does not relate to reproduction.

[Hammer Handle]

Yea, and most of those Elm trees were replaced with Ash trees....

[Powerstroke]

exactly......my job is safe.

[IFallsRon]

SPRINGFIELD, Ill.

The state has expanded a quarantine to include all or part of 18 counties in northern Illinois in an effort to limit the spread of a tree-killing beetle.

The new regulations ban the removal of ash materials that could carry the emerald ash borer from Illinois' northeastern-most counties, according to a statement from the Illinois Department of Agriculture. They also require waste haulers to cover products from infested spots within the quarantine area during transport through August, the end of the beetle's flight season.

Anyone convicted of moving prohibited materials from the quarantined area without certification from the department can be fined $500.

In the past two weeks, the small metallic-green insect has been spotted in LaSalle and DuPage counties. The recent finds prompted the adjustment of the quarantine boundaries, Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Chuck Hartke said in the statement.

The insect has been blamed for the loss of about 20 million ash trees in the Midwest since it was first spotted in the region in 2002.

"We must do all we can to limit the artificial spread of this devastating pest," Hartke said.

The quarantine covers the entire counties of: Boone, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, LaSalle, McHenry, Putnam, Will and Winnebago. It also includes the eastern parts of Ogle, Lee and Bureau counties and the northwestern part of Livingston County.

Copyright © 2007, The Associated Press