Remember: Only DNR Approved Firewood is Allowed on State Lands

Summer is officially here and everyone should getting outside to have fun as much as possible.  If your outdoor adventures take you into areas managed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, remember that only approved firewood is allowed.

This includes state parks, state forests and wildlife management areas.  The DNR says that firewood restrictions will help prevent the introduction or spread of damaging forest pests, including emerald ash borer, gypsy moth and oak wilt.

Firewood that can be used on state-managed lands must be offered for sale by the DNR at that location or:

• Be acquired from a DNR-approved firewood vendor that sells firewood harvested within 50 miles from where burning occurs.
• Be acquired from a DNR-approved firewood vendor certified by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) or the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS). There will be a certification shield on the bundle label.
• Be kiln-dried, clean (unpainted and unstained) dimensional lumber free of any metal or foreign substance. Pallet boards are not considered approved firewood because they may contain bark that can harbor forest pests.

There is one exception: Anyone camping on state forest land outside of a designated campground may gather dead wood on the ground for campfire use on site.

Also, if you purchase firewood from a state park, please make sure you burn it all before you leave or return unopened bundles of wood for a refund.