Park changes firewood rules to protect forests
Great Smoky Mountains National Park will limit the type of firewood brought into the park in order to protect forests.
Beginning in March 2015, only heat-treated firewood that is bundled and displays a certification stamp by the USDA or a state department of agriculture will be allowed for use in park campgrounds.
Heat-treated firewood will be available to purchase from concessioners in many of the campgrounds as well as from private businesses in the communities around the park.
“The threat of new pests coming into our forests, both in the park and regionally, compels us to do all we can to reduce the risk to our forests,” said Acting Superintendent Clayton Jordan. “While a ban on the importation of non-treated firewood will not entirely halt the spread of destructive forest pests and diseases, it will greatly slow it down.”
For more information about firewood and forest and insect pests in the park, visit the park website at www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/ firewood-alert.htm.
