Wilderness News Online

David Cappaert, Michigan State University, Bugwood.org

In an effort to slow the spread of emerald ash borers in the state, National Forest officials on Friday announced tightened restrictions on firewood use and transportation in Minnesota’s Superior and Chippewa National Forests.

The new rules state:

- No firewood of any species from another state and from farther way than 100 miles can be brought to the forests for burning.

- No firewood of any species can come from a state-quarantined county or from those contiguous to quarantined counties.

- All firewood must be purchased from a certified vendor.

Non-ash firewood gathered within 100 miles of the Chippewa or Superior National Forest may still be used in the forests.

Currently, Ramsey, Hennepin, and Houston Counties in Minnesota are quarantined.

A listing of approved firewood vendors is available on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources website, HERE. Firewood buyers must keep a receipt of purchase that includes name of approved vendor, date, and quantity of wood purchased.

Since their discovery in Michigan in 2002, emerald ash borers have been making a slow migration throughout the Midwest. The invasive insects have already destroyed millions of ash trees across the southern Great Lakes states.

Emerald ash borers are of particular concern in Minnesota because the state contains the second largest concentration of ash trees in the nation. The insects advance slowly on their own, but can spread rapidly if infected ash wood is transported.

More information is available, HERE, on the U.S. Department of Agriculture web site.

Emerald Ash Borer damage, Daniel Herms, The Ohio State University, Bugwood.org

Emerald Ash Borer damage. Toby Petrice, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org