AUGUSTA — The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s Maine Forest Service will be present at several key visitor locations this Thursday and Friday, July 2-3.
“Maine’s Rangers are working this holiday weekend in order to promote understanding and enforcement of Maine’s ban on imported firewood,” said Commissioner Walt Whitcomb. “The ban addresses the significant risk posed by movement of untreated firewood that may contain destructive insects.”
The ban on imported firewood is part of a broader initiative within the Department to protect Maine’s forests and farms from new and exotic pest threats. The Forest Health & Monitoring program and the Bureau of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health program actively survey for known and potential pest threats, conducts trainings and public outreach to recognize and report potential pest threats.
Maine Forest Service Rangers will inspect visible loads of firewood being carried by vehicles registered outside of Maine. They will talk to visitors about exotic pest threats, provide information to visitors, answer questions and hand out brochures. Illegally imported firewood will be confiscated. They will also have an increased presence at prominent private and public campgrounds over the holiday weekend.
