(Host) State and federal officials hope to control the spread of two forest insect pests by banning out-of-state firewood at campgrounds.
The two insects of concern are the Emerald Ash Borer and the Asian Long Horned beetle. Both are non-native species and they pose a serious threat to the hardwood trees.
Steven Sinclair is the Vermont state forester.
(Sinclair) "They bore into the tree, then it gets cut up as firewood so they can be sleeping so to speak in the tree. And then when temperatures are right in the spring, they emerge, they can live in dead wood, so they’ll emerge and potentially spread to other locations. So moving firewood is a hidden danger where the general public may not even know what they’re doing."
(Host) The U.S. Forest Service wants only kiln-dried, packaged firewood used in campgrounds in the Green Mountain National Forest.
Wood from local sources is still permitted. But starting July 17th, visitors could face a $5,000 fine if they’re caught transporting untreated wood from out-of-state into the national forest.
Vermont is taking a less punitive approach.
Sinclair said that although only local firewood is allowed at state campgrounds, visitors can exchange their out-of-state wood for a local supply from the state park.
(Sinclair) "If a camper came to one of our state parks and was bringing with them firewood that originated from 50 miles away from the radius of the state park – and was more than what we thought they could burn in the evening – we would confiscate that wood and reimburse the camper with some free wood from the state park."
(Host) State and federal officials are concerned because the emerald ash borer has spread rapidly to 13 states and two Canadian provinces.
And the Asian Long Horned Beetle was discovered last year near Worcester, Massachusetts, just 50 miles from the Vermont border.