Invasive pests can hide in your firewood. When you plan a trip, avoid transporting firewood and buy or gather it onsite.
Washington’s lands are at risk from the transportation of invasive insects and diseases hidden in firewood. When you pack and transport firewood to your camping destination, you increase the risk of invasive bugs crawling out and infesting trees and crops nearby. Once invasive insects take hold, they may devastate forests and agricultural sites.
Despite their size, tiny pests, like the emerald ash borer, spongy moth, longhorned beetle and spotted lanternfly can devastate Washington’s lands. Preventing their introduction by buying firewood where you plan to burn it reduces the risk to our forests, agricultural industries, and our favorite outdoor recreation sites.
Who Can Help?
- Bird watchers
- Campers
- Rock climbers
- Property owners
- Skiiers and snowboarders
- Hikers
- Mountain bikers
- Hunters
If you spend time doing any of these activities or have a home with trees on your property, you should be aware of invasive pests and the damage they can cause.
Imagine the loss of your favorite forest because of an invasion of the emerald ash borer, or your favorite campsite is closed due to an infestation. These are real scenarios that have happened on the East Coast where invasive pests are well established.
What Can I Do?
Whether you love to camp, snowboard, ski, hike, hunt, rock climb, or mountain bike, follow these guidelines to protect the places you love:
● Follow Washington’s firewood quarantine, which prohibits the entry of firewood from out of state. Under the law, only heat-treated firewood labeled “approved pest free” is allowed from outside of the state.
● Don’t move firewood within the state. Gather onsite when permitted or buy it where you burn it.
● Follow the National Park Service’s guideline and get your firewood ten miles or less from your destination.
● Call ahead to your camping destination to find a local wood dealer.
● Spread the word—tell your friends, neighbors, and family about Washington’s firewood quarantine and the dangers of moving firewood. If you know someone who is preparing for a camping trip or vacation, remind them to purchase their firewood locally.
● Learn to identify and recognize pests of concern like emerald ash borer, spongy moth, longhorned beetle, and spotted lanternfly.
● Burn all your firewood before leaving your campsite.
Thank you to our partners: Bureau of Land Management, Idaho Invasive Species Council, National Park Service, Oregon Invasive Species Council, U.S. Forest Service, Washington Forest Protection Association, Washington State Department of Agriculture, Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, and The Nature Conservancy’s Don’t Move Firewood Campaign.