Shenandoah National Park Bans Outside Firewood Starting 2010
Beginning March 1, 2010, persons entering Shenandoah National Park may not bring firewood or wood scraps. Visitors must gather or purchase firewood within the park.
Note: from October 1, 2009 – February 28, 2010, visitors may still bring in firewood that has been cut from areas within 35 miles of the park’s boundary.
This ban will help keep exotic insects such as the Emerald Ash Borer out of Shenandoah National Park. The Emerald Ash Borer is responsible for the deaths of tens of millions of ash trees in the U.S. and is spread by the movement of infested firewood.
Hand and arms of a person holding a stack of cut wood
Wood for campfires must be gathered or purchased within the park.
Why can’t I bring my firewood into the park?
The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is a destructive invasive exotic beetle that feeds on ash trees. As of 2009, the EAB is responsible for the deaths of tens of millions of ash trees throughout the Midwest and in some eastern states.
Currently, the closest documented EAB infestation is in Fairfax County, Virginia, only 55 miles east of Shenandoah’s northern boundary. Foresters across the state are working to control the spread of this devastating insect through quarantines, bans, and public education.
The EAB is often spread by the movement of infested firewood. Over the last several years, EAB infested firewood has been found at campgrounds, hunting camps, NASCAR events, rest stops, and picnic areas throughout the Midwest and Eastern U.S.
The park’s campgrounds and picnic areas are the most likely areas for EAB introduction into Shenandoah National Park. Because of the seriousness of a potential infestation, park managers are implementing a firewood ban effective March 1, 2010.
White ash trees, comprising approximately 4% of the park’s overall forest, are found in 16 forest communities that together cover 65% of the park’s acreage. Given what is known about EAB infestations, an outbreak in Shenandoah National Park could lead to a total loss of white ash in the park and surrounding areas. Shenandoah’s managers want to avoid the same widespread devastation to the ash population that the woolly adelgid has wrought on the Eastern Hemlock.
What are the details of the ban?
In an effort to slow the spread of this destructive insect, Shenandoah National Park is implementing an Outside Firewood Ban effective March 1, 2010. This regulation requires that visitors not bring any firewood (or wood scraps) into the park. Visitors may gather dead and down firewood in the park or purchase wood at Park Camp Stores. The park’s vendor’s sources have been approved. Additionally, as always, visitors are encouraged to use charcoal for their cooking fires.
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Posted by admin
on Nov 17 2009. Filed under Northern Virginia News.
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