You load up a pile of firewood in your truck and haul it to your campsite to burn during your stay. Sounds like a cost saving idea since the park will charge you for wood. But sadly what might save you a few bucks could destroy a forest.
The emerald ash borer is a small, non-native beetle first noticed in the United States in Michigan in 2002. (Scientists believe the beetle has been in Michigan for up 10 years.) A native of Asia, its larvae have killed at least 20 million ash trees in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana.
State agencies there and the U.S. Forest Service conduct research, eradicate the pest by removing and burning infected trees, and work to quarantine the insects. Billions of trees are at risk.
According to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the emerald ash borer and other pests can be easily transported in firewood so the simplest way you can prevent infestation by buying firewood at your destination instead of taking it with you when camping or hunting. And don't accept firewood from infested states. This is such a concern for our trees and forests, that Governor McDonnell has declared May 23-29, 2010 as Virginia Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Week.
In Virginia we actually have quarantined areas to stop the spread of the EAB. It is unlawful to transport firewood from the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun and Prince William as well as for the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax City, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park.
To stop this and other pests from destroying our trees, I recommend two great websites. There is Stop the Beetle from the US Department of Agriculture. Be sure to check out their Facebook page too. I have been a fan of Don't Move Firewood for more than a year now. We even have a few of their videos posted on our Facebook page. They also have a Facebook page. The Don't Move Firewood site and campaign is a product of
The Continental Dialogue on Non-Native Forest Insects and Diseases. The Don't Move Firewood folks are responsible for the video above and a whole collection of videos and PSAs that get the word out in a clever way.
If you visit Sky Meadows, Leesylvania or Mason Neck state parks (our parks located within the quarantine area), you may see these which have been set up to trap the pests by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
So what can you do to help stop transporting wood pests? On the Stop the Beetle website, you can take a pledge to not move firewood.
•Keep firewood in the county where I buy it.
•Know where it comes from — and not accept it from EAB infested states.
•Buy firewood at my camping destination; and burn it where I buy it.
Please visit the firewood page on this website for more information about the Emerald Ash Borer and other pests.
