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Discover the importance of using local firewood to avoid spreading harmful forest pests. The Don’t Move Firewood campaign is an outreach partnership managed by The Nature Conservancy. The overarching goal of the campaign is to protect trees and forests all across North America from invasive insects and diseases that can travel in or on contaminated firewood. The central tenet of the Don’t Move Firewood campaign is that everyone has a role to play in slowing the spread of invasive tree killing insects and diseases, through making better informed firewood choices. For more information on how you can do your part, please see Frequently Asked Questions.

• Firewood Month Toolkit -- During Firewood Month (October), reduce firewood movement to slow the spread of forest pests and diseases via the firewood pathway.
• Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Weed Toolkit -- During Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Week (May 19-26, 2024) everyone is encouraged to take a few minutes to learn about the signs and symptoms of emerald ash borer infestation on ash trees so that the infestations can be better managed by local tree professionals and foresters.

On Monday April 8, 2024, a total eclipse of the sun will be visible in a roughly 115 mile wide swath (called the path of totality) crossing North America as it passes over Mexico, the U.S., and Canada. Millions of travelers are expected to camp out over the weekend so they can be in the best viewing area on Monday to see the amazing spectacle of a complete solar eclipse. The Nature Conservancy is asking everyone that plans to use firewood for the solar eclipse celebration weekend to buy local firewood near their destination, bring packaged certified heat-treated firewood, or gather their firewood responsibly on site if permitted by the campground or landowner.

 Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Week is in May each year. Provides outreach materials for EAB EAB Awareness Week.

In 2010, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho launched a tri-state outreach campaign to inform the public about the dangers of moving firewood to Pacific Northwest forests. The campaign, funded by the United States Department of Agriculture, closely followed the messaging of the national Don't Move Firewood campaign, which recommends buy firewood that was cut locally, preferably within the county or region of where it will be burned. The tri-state outreach campaign, Buy It Where You Burn It, encouraged good campfire practices with branded posters, billboards, and playing cards located at rest stops and state parks.

The Firewood Outreach Toolbox includes a quick reference list of customize-ready outreach materials, targeted groups outreach list, videos, and logo use instructions.
See also: Outreach resources for professionals related to Forest Pest and Pathogens

The Don't Move Firewood campaign will be hosting a few live webinars during Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Awareness Week (May 20-26, 2024).  Webinars will be recorded and available for registrants.
See related resource: Don't Move Firewood

Provides state quarantine information. Federal domestic quarantine EAB regulations have been removed effective Jan 14, 2021.

Firewood is widely recognized as a major source of non-native forest insect and disease infestations. A rule governing the importation of untreated firewood into Vermont went into effect on May 1, 2016. Visitors to Vermont State Parks, Vermont State Forests, and the Green Mountain National Forest may only bring firewood originating from Vermont or that is heat treated and in its original, labeled package. To help slow the spread of emerald ash borer within Vermont, ash firewood that has not been heat treated should not be moved outside of the Emerald Ash Borer Infested Area in Vermont.

October is Firewood Month! Learn about firewood rules and how moving firewood hurts our environment and economy by spreading invasive species. Provides specific state information on their firewood regulations and recommendations (includes Canada and Mexico).

As of Jul 2011, New Hampshire has banned the importation of untreated firewood without a commercial or home heating compliance agreement. Firewood is a major source of damaging insects and diseases. This quarantine will help protect the health on New Hampshire's forests.

Invasive insect pests and diseases are threatening the future forests of Virginia. The transport of firewood is one of the primary means by which these harmful insects and diseases spread. Quarantines have been issued by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to restrict the movement of firewood from counties where the pests have been found to counties without them.

This site was initially created by the Southeast Michigan Resource Conservation and Development Council through funding from the USDA Forest Service Wood Education and Resource Center. In 2019, Firewood Scout's management and operations were transferred to the Sustainable Resources Institute, a non profit corporation specializing in natural resource research, education, training and certification. Today, Firewood Scout continues to add new partnering states and to spread the message of "Buy your firewood where you plan to burn it!"

A cozy campfire for summer days, a warm fireplace for winter evenings– the use of firewood is an "established cultural norm". However, moving firewood from place to place can have devastating consequences, as it can spread forest pests that decimate forests to collectively cost an estimated $4.2 – $14.4 billion per year. In order to better address the problem of people moving firewood and vectoring forest pests, Solano and colleagues examined trends and gaps in the existing literature on firewood and human-mediated forest pest movement in North America. The existing literature demonstrates the risk of firewood movement, but fails to address the level of awareness the public has on such risks, or the level of effectiveness of firewood regulations to prevent forest pest spread.

Fact Sheet 5.4 in Changing Roles: Wildland-Urban Interface Professional Development Program. See also: Forest Health - Use Local Firewood for more resources.

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) is proposing an Exterior Firewood Quarantine [PDF, 192 KB] to prevent the introduction of unwanted plant pests and diseases into Michigan. Public comments on the proposal were due on November 19, 2021. Over 140 pests and diseases can be moved by firewood, including Asian long-horned beetle, mountain pine beetle and spotted lanternfly. These pests are not known to exist in Michigan but could be accidentally brought into the state by travelers transporting firewood. Additional information is available at Michigan Invasive Species Program.

In an attempt to limit the transfer of pests across state lines in firewood, these guidelines provide information on the process of drafting new or revising current state-based regulations pertaining to firewood, share case studies of states that have already approached firewood quarantines, provide examples of strategies beyond regulation that could enhance a state’s overall response to the firewood pathway, and give selected recommendations or examples within these strategies.