INDIANA — With the arrival of camping season, visitors to DNR properties should brush up on the DNR firewood rule.
The rule helps protect Indiana’s trees from the 140 known pests and pathogens that currently affect forests as well as pests we don’t know about yet. Several pests and pathogens are transported through firewood movement.
Under the rule, visitors to state parks, reservoirs, state forests and state fish and wildlife areas can bring firewood from home — as long as the bark has been removed. Removing the bark minimizes the risk of accidental infestation through firewood movement, because insect larvae live in sapwood under the bark.
Guests may also bring firewood into DNR properties, if it’s:
• Kiln-dried scrap lumber.
• Purchased outside the property and bears either a USDA compliance stamp or a state compliance stamp.
• Purchased from the property campstore or on-site firewood vendor and has a state compliance stamp.
Regardless of where visitors get their firewood, they should burn it all at the campsite before they leave.
In short, the firewood rule means: “Buy it with a stamp, bring it debarked, burn it all.”
For more about the rule see firewood.dnr.IN.gov.