FOR CONSUMERS
If you purchase firewood:
- Make sure it is labeled with required information.
- Make sure it has the federal or state certificate if it came from an area quarantined for a plant pest.
- Be mindful of plant pest quarantines in place.
If you have your own firewood:
- Burn it close to where it was harvested.
FOR PRODUCERS AND DISTRIBUTORS
- Information on MDA certified firewood and how to become certified.
- For Minnesota Department of Commerce, Weights and Measures, firewood labeling requirements.
- For information on DNR approved firewood and use on State lands.
The federal shield
Firewood that originates in a quarantined area is required to have a stamp, sticker, or permit with the federal shield on the package label or invoice to move interstate. This certifies that the wood has gone through a process which should reduce the risk of it carrying a regulated pest as it moves out of a quarantined area. Learn to recognize the shield and understand its meaning. Moving firewood out of quarantine areas without proper certification is punishable by monetary fine up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment.
The Federal shield does not mean the firewood is lower risk than Minnesota firewood.
The safest wood to buy and sell is from Minnesota.
To send firewood out of state call USDA Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service about regulations.
Phone number: 952-853-1270
Why are invasive pests a problem?
Gypsy moth and emerald ash borer are examples of invasive species that have killed millions of trees in nearby states. Others, such as Asian longhorned beetle and sirex woodwasp, also pose threats to health of Minnesota’s trees and forests.
NOT MOVING FIREWOOD IS IMPORTANT
Many invasive pest species live on or in trees, lumber, and firewood. Moving untreated firewood can spread pests
Firewood can be transported out of the EAB quarantine if all conditions are met:
- Firewood is USDA certified or is treated in an MDA certified facility
- Displays the appropriate MDA or USDA certification shield
- Is unopened
Firewood cannot be transported out of the quarantined area if:
- Firewood bundles have been opened
- Firewood is not certified as treated
- Firewood bundles fail to display the appropriate certification shield
- Firewood used on DNR-administered lands must be purchased either at the state park or from a DNR vendor located in the same county as the state park.
MDA certificate
If you transport wood out of a QUARANTINE AREA, it needs to have a certificate.
All state certified wood materials will have the state certificate on the label. Certified materials have been processed or treated according to the state regulations to mitigate plant pest risk before crossing quarantine boundaries
The federal shield indicates that regulated articles have been certified by regulatory officials as having been processed, transported properly under domestic quarantines, or both.
The USDA or MDA certificates for shields indicate firewood can be moved around the state.