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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.

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.

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.

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.

Collaborative study determines effective messengers, language choices, and modes of delivery for disseminating educational information on how firewood choices can impact forest health. A recent study done in collaboration between The Nature Conservancy’s Don’t Move Firewood campaign and researchers from Clemson University showed that most people in the U.S. don’t know firewood can harbor invasive forest insects and diseases, but when targeted education materials are used effectively, they can learn and are likely to change their behavior.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is asking the public to look for and report the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB). APHIS declares every August Tree Check Month and is asking you to look for this destructive, invasive beetle by checking trees on your property and in your community for damage. Left unchecked, the ALB can cause infested trees to die. August is an ideal time of year to look for the beetle and the damage it causes.

Emerald ash borer, laurel wilt disease, thousand cankers disease, and the European gypsy moth are likely to be brought into North Carolina in or on firewood. The use of local firewood is an important factor in preventing the spread of potentially devastating invasive species to our state's forests. Please keep this in mind as you prepare for your outdoor recreation activities. See Forest Health Invasive Pest Maps for more information about pest monitoring.