Camping out brings many memories around the campfire for the family. Cooking, sharing family stories, and spending quality time together around the warmth of the fire ring creates new memories. Buying local firewood where you will burn it is essential for several reasons. Read more to find out why.

Minimal Thought

Unfortunately, many campers do not give much thought to where they will buy their firewood for their camp out. For many, gaining free wood from a family member or friend will help save money for the excursion. But is this truly the best thing to do?

Buying Firewood Locally

Buying firewood locally lowers the risk of losing more forests and wildlife. Each forest holds its own native insects and diseases. When campers use firewood from one area and transport it to another area to use, the exposure risks increase. The non-native insects now enter new territory, which quickly results in dying vegetation. And a larger number of trees in the area also being to negatively change.

Infesting New Forest Areas

As more and more campers transport non-local firewood to non-local camping destinations, the spread of infestation occurs more rapidly. Insects such as pine beetles, long-horned beetles, and other pests start on their own new invasive adventure.

Lowered Defenses

Just as the human body can have a hard time defending itself from a new high potent virus, so much so, the forest areas hold lowered defenses against new non-local pests and diseases. Existing insects are overcome by the new expanding population of the non-local insects.

Disastrous Results

The result of not buying firewood locally for your next camping excursion is the “cross-contamination” of existing eco-systems. New insects are introduced into dangerous territory (unique eco-systems that produce disastrous results).

Additional Devastating Results

Other devastating results exist when non-local insects and diseases are introduced into different eco-systems. The existing wildlife is negatively impacted – their native natural living area is placed upside down.

As forests become “cross-contaminated” and deteriorate, land and home property values begin to decline. This brings economic chaos to lakeside communities and other neighboring areas.

Control costs in local cities and towns increase. Those who take care of the natural wildlife areas are faced with new challenges – the need to use additional resources to save existing forests and wildlife areas. The increasing costs come in the form of additional time and money needed to control the devastating results.

Buy Firewood Locally

Please consider buying firewood locally for your next camping excursion. Suppose each camper makes the proper choice to save the wildlife areas; more generations to come can enjoy bonding with nature with their children and children’s’ children.

When you buy firewood locally, be sure to ask where the firewood was originally obtained. Also, look for a seal from the Department of Agriculture, which states the firewood has been heat-treated to kill pests. Remember, firewood, which says it is dried in the kiln, is not sufficient enough to save our forests and wildlife areas.

How Are You Doing Your Part?

How are you doing your part to continue to enjoy your camping wildlife areas? Do you buy firewood locally? Or, do you always look for the certification seal of approval by the Department of Agriculture? Please leave us your notes to help other campers make the proper decision for future generations!