Firewood Dealer and Transport Rule Set to Be Permanent
According to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and forest conservationists, firewood should no longer be considered safe to transport in Wisconsin or other states. With the threat of invasive insects and diseases, the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) has issued an emergency rule, set to become permanent, certifying firewood dealers. The DATCP rule comes on the heals of a permanent DNR rule prohibiting the use of firewood at all state parks harvested outside a 50 mile radius of the state park.
Campers, hunters and others that enjoy nature would never willingly endanger the habitat they enjoy so much, and it is my hope that with leadership and cooperation we can protect those areas with little government interference. The influx of invasive insects and disease is creating a situation where the state needs to regulate of transport of firewood. DATCP has proposed the regulation of firewood dealers as a way to stem the tide of infected firewood into our state’s natural areas.
I am hopeful that along with these regulations comes a strong public education effort to inform the public of the dangers of transporting firewood from community to community. Wisconsin is a state of tourism and outdoor activities. It is difficult to imagine what our forests could look like if disease and invasive insects spread in Wisconsin and severely damaged our pristine natural areas. Our leisure and hunting economy depends on an aggressive approach to forest protection.
In late 2006, the DNR required state park campers to use firewood from within 50 miles of a state park unless the wood came from a DATCP-certified firewood dealer. The department created a voluntary firewood dealer certification process with the emergency rule. Now set to become permanent, the rule would help ensure firewood used on state land would not be a carrier for invasive insects or disease. In the application for certification, dealers would be required to describe the process used to eliminate invasive insects and disease in their non-local firewood. Those processes include heat treatment, debarking, fumigation, two or more years of storage or another matter approved by the department. Certification for firewood dealers would cost $50 annually.
A firewood dealer is not required to be certified to sell firewood in the state under the rule, but wood from outside 50 miles of a state park cannot enter a state park. The certification for dealers is only needed for firewood sold by dealers that originated outside the acceptable area. Preserving our natural areas is a good idea for all of us, whether we enjoy the outdoors or prefer to stay inside. Our state parks and natural areas are an essential part of Wisconsin and our state’s economy. For more information please contact my office at 608-266-6670.
For more information on the proposed DATCP rule, call Bob Dahl at 608-224-4573. Comments may be made on the rule until November 2nd. The rule must move through the Legislature before enactment.
