Overview

Developing Regulations Can Help Restrict In-State Movement of Firewood

The regulations provided are for states considering the development of a new or updated regulation for the movement of firewood. The intent of the regulatory template is to summarize the experiences of other states that have existing out of state firewood regulations. States considering implementing a firewood quarantine need to identify the intent of the regulation and the approach, get meaningful responses from a variety of stakeholders and colleagues and consider the following:

1. Do stakeholders or agency staff in your state think/agree that the movement of firewood should be regulated?
2. What are your state’s primary concerns about firewood movement?
   • Intra-state movement from source to area-of-use or sale? (e.g., firewood cannot move intra-state further than 50 miles)
   • Intra-state movement from known infested areas to uninfested areas? (i.e., firewood from a quarantined portion of your state cannot be moved to a non-quarantined portion)
   • Importation of untreated firewood from known infested areas for a specific pest? (i.e., firewood from states with outbreaks of emerald ash borer, Asian longhorned beetle, red imported fire ant, or other pests cannot be imported)
   • Importation of untreated firewood from out-of-state? (i.e., out-of-state firewood is prohibited)
3. What are the most common forms of firewood typically imported, distributed, and/or sold throughout your state? (e.g., is it cut and split loose, bagged, wrapped, boxed, delivered in cords, as whole logs, or something else?)
4. Are you considering exempting certified heat-treated firewood from any quarantine requirements that you develop? If so, what is the minimum treatment level that you would deem acceptable?
5. Will your state create and/or maintain a state-based certified treatment program to allow for your states’ firewood producers to sell firewood to other states that may be implementing their own regulations?
6. Are you open to considering treatment options other than heat treatment to exempt firewood from the regulatory requirements?
7. What level of firewood labeling, traceability, and reporting will you require?

When these questions have been considered, the quarantine template and supporting documents can be reviewed to assist development of a firewood quarantine.

This website provides guidance to inform portions of the regulation template. For example, the definition of firewood, the heat-treatment standard, and methods of enforcement vary between states. Consistency in labeling, in clear language, helps the firewood industry be compliant while informing regulators in others states and consumers that firewood has met requirements. Compliance Agreements and Certification Programs can enable the firewood industry in your state or region to comply with new and existing regulations region wide.