Don’t Move Firewood

Online resources for preventing the spread of forest pests

It’s August, and many people are heading out on camping trips as a pandemic-friendly vacation option and looking forward to evenings around a campfire. Now is a good time for a refresher on information and tools available to inform campers about why they should not move firewood.  This week’s tool summary reviews the great information and outreach materials available on The Nature Conservancy’s ‘Don’t Move Firewood’ website (https://www.dontmovefirewood.org/). 

Summary

Invasive insects and diseases are a major threat to forest trees, and the Northeast is an invasion hotspot. One thing everyone can do to slow the spread of invasive species is to use local firewood for wood stoves, fireplaces, and camping trips. Don’t Move Firewood is an outreach campaign managed by The Nature Conservancy, and involves many non-profit, state, and federal partners.

Three Things to Try with this Tool

• Download free posters to share with your stakeholders. You can work with Don’t Move Firewood campaign managers to develop customized outreach materials for your land.

• Search or browse the comprehensive species profiles of invasive forest insects and diseases

• Consider the similarities and differences in firewood regulations among the Northeastern states and provinces

Utility for Management

• Outreach materials with attractive graphic design and customizable messaging, including Spanish and French versions

• Platform to connect with professionals across the United States and Canada; you can sign up for periodic newsletters and blog posts, or check out archived posts here

• If you manage land in New Hampshire or Maine, links to the Firewood Scout site can help locate local and/or heat-treated firewood