Firewood and the Emerald Ash Borer

campdaddy · May 29, 2007, 07:53 PM

Did our Memorial Day Camping this past week-end and a fun time was had by all. Here in the Mid-West we have a nasty little kritter called a Emerald Ash Borer and in order to slow down the spread of this bug, many counties here in Ohio have restricted the movement of firewood for camping. You can be fined $400.00 for moving firewood from a quarantined county to to another county. In ordered to avoid any hassle we did not take our firewood from home with us like we normally do. The county we live in is not under quarantine yet so legally it would have been OK but we were traveling through a county that was and we didn't want any hassle. We'd just buy it at the campground, right? Right, they were selling firewood alright. A small bundle containing 4 to 5 pieces of wood for $5.00. what a ripoff. We bought two bundles for that night and then the next day we drove into another county that also wasn't under quarantine and bought our firewood and took it back. My point is, if they really want people to stop moving firewood around they're going to have to get the campgrounds on board and stop gouging people. I'm not saying that all campgrounds are doing this, hopefully most aren't, but if they do try to take advantage of this Emerald Ash Borer situation for a profit, it'll be counter productive.

kmc_78 · May 29, 2007, 11:03 PM

Quote from: campdaddyDid our Memorial Day Camping this past week-end and a fun time was had by all. Here in the Mid-West we have a nasty little kritter called a Emerald Ash Borer and in order to slow down the spread of this bug, many counties here in Ohio have restricted the movement of firewood for camping. You can be fined $400.00 for moving firewood from a quarantined county to to another county. In ordered to avoid any hassle we did not take our firewood from home with us like we normally do. The county we live in is not under quarantine yet so legally it would have been OK but we were traveling through a county that was and we didn't want any hassle. We'd just buy it at the campground, right? Right, they were selling firewood alright. A small bundle containing 4 to 5 pieces of wood for $5.00. what a ripoff. We bought two bundles for that night and then the next day we drove into another county that also wasn't under quarantine and bought our firewood and took it back. My point is, if they really want people to stop moving firewood around they're going to have to get the campgrounds on board and stop gouging people. I'm not saying that all campgrounds are doing this, hopefully most aren't, but if they do try to take advantage of this Emerald Ash Borer situation for a profit, it'll be counter productive.

I'm also in Ohio and wondered where you found which counties are quarantined? We live in Richland county (Mansfield) and I do believe that I heard that we don't yet have a problem with it...but how do you know what counties do??

OOPS!! Nevermind...if I would have just clicked on the link in the first place..DUH! Thanks anyway!!

~Kelly

dthurk · May 30, 2007, 05:43 AM

I agree with campdaddy. Small bundles of firewood are so expensive, and you have no idea how well it's been seasoned. Then, sometimes, you have to scour the countryside to find it.

We had to give up on cooking over a campfire once when we bought "seasoned" green wood from the campground office. The stuff wouldn't burn for us and we were all really hungry.

It would help stem the Emerald Ash Borer problem if properly seasoned and reasonably priced local firewood was available at the campground.

wernstriumph · May 30, 2007, 06:51 AM

Here in Jersey, some counties had a problem with Asian longhorn beetles. It was the same thing, no wood could come out of the quarantined areas and some campgrounds posted "No outside firewood due to Longhorn beetle" signs. Of course it was probably so you had to buy their firewood more than the beetle scare. I found a hardwood charcoal briquette that looks like regular square charcoal but is 100 percent wood and it lasts just as long. It also gives a smokey flavor to the food. I know it's not the same as a good ol' campfire, but sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do. I got the charcoal from Home depot by the way.

AustinBoston · May 30, 2007, 08:40 AM

Moving firewood can be about many different parasites. We have gone back and forth about firewood, and have reached the point where we just don't haul it around any more.

Within state, across state lines, or across the country, there are just too many things that can be disrupted by a single careless firewood hauler. Unfortunately, it's not usually persons who are trying to be careful that cause a problem, but those who have no idea what is and is not safe or allowed (or just don't give a rip) that cause most problems.

Austin

dthurk · May 30, 2007, 11:59 AM

How about buying a box of those Duraflame type logs? I guess they're supposed to burn up to 3 hours. Don't know how well they'd work for cooking. I've not had any experience with them personally. How much do they cost? It might make the $5 bundle look like a good deal. Also, remember many years ago reading of a gizmo that would allow you to roll your old newspapers into logs to burn. Are those items still around? That might end up being the cheapest way out of it yet. Recycle those old papers.

A2SuperCrew · May 30, 2007, 12:01 PM

As a camper who loves camp fires, I really struggle when I have to buy wood at a campground. Especially when it's green, or wet or both!

As a homeowner who has lost four large Ash trees to the borer, and watched entire neighborhoods become tree-less, I appreciate the quarentines, and restrictions on wood movement.

brainpause · May 30, 2007, 12:04 PM

Quote from: dthurkHow about buying a box of those Duraflame type logs? I guess they're supposed to burn up to 3 hours. Don't know how well they'd work for cooking. I've not had any experience with them personally. How much do they cost? It might make the $5 bundle look like a good deal. Also, remember many years ago reading of a gizmo that would allow you to roll your old newspapers into logs to burn. Are those items still around? That might end up being the cheapest way out of it yet. Recycle those old papers.

No good for cooking. Not really the coal-type heat you need, and the smoke can often make food taste bad.

Larry

dthurk · May 30, 2007, 09:07 PM

Quote from: brainpauseNo good for cooking. Not really the coal-type heat you need, and the smoke can often make food taste bad.

Larry

Well, just thought it might be a valid option for limiting the ash borer problem. 10 years from now the whole country will probably be invaded and we'll be back to business as normal. Does anyone really think we're going to prevent this from happening? We might slow it down for a while, but it's really tough to stop insects from doing what they do.

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Firewood and the Emerald Ash Borer