132 Sources of Firewood The sources from which campers obtained their firewood were not skewed to any particular outlet. At Colorado State Parks, 30% of campers obtained wood at locations within the park (usu- ally park or marina vendors), 28% of campers bought wood at retail locations outside the park, 15% of the wood was cut or collected at home, 10% was scrap lumber (2x4s, old cabinets, etc.), 5% was from other sources (cut or collected from an- other area), and 12% was from an unknown source (no one at the campsite knew the firewood source) (Table 4). At National Parks, 32% of campers purchased firewood inside the park, 25% purchased wood at retail locations outside the park, 17% of the wood was cut or collected at home, 12% was scrap lum- ber, 14% was from other sources, and 0.1% unknown (Table 4). Firewood Type and Condition, and Other Risk Factors Conifer wood was the most prevalent firewood type at both State (46%) and National (66%) park campgrounds, while pure hard- wood was noted 21% of the time at National Parks and eight per- cent of the time at State Parks (Table 5). Bark was attached to firewood 64% of the time at National Parks and 74% of the time at Colorado State Parks (Table 5). The type of firewood varied by state, but pine species were the most abundant firewood in all states (61% in National Parks and 42% in State Parks) (Table 5). Only 31% of firewood was pine in Nevada parks, while Wyo- ming parks had 83% pine (Table 5). In Wyoming and Colorado, 89%–91% of pine firewood had bark attached, while only 22% of Arizona pine had bark present (Table 5). Other items of note are that “other” hardwood species had bark attached 89% and 58% of the time at State and National Parks, respectively, and that oak and aspen were a proportion of the total firewood species at national parks (4%–5%) in every state (Table 5). Ash firewood was a small proportion (<2%) in three of five states (Table 5). The presence of signs and symptoms of previous insect and fungal infestations noted on firewood was expected because most firewood is derived from dead trees or material not used in the processing of logs into wood products. In National Parks, ap- proximately 53% of the wood had evidence of previous infes- tation by bark beetles or wood borers and 39% had stain fungi apparent (Table 6). The condition of firewood ranged greatly by state; only 15% of firewood in Arizona had evidence of previ- ous insect activity while 73% of Colorado firewood did (Table 6). Campers in Colorado State Parks had high proportions of previously infested wood as well; 71% of wood had evidence of insects and 79% had stain fungi (Table 6). In National Parks, fire- wood from out of state had 18% less occurrence of bark beetle and/or wood borers and 32% less occurrence of fungal evidence than wood from the park state (Table 6). The study authors were not able to examine any out-of-state wood in Colorado State Parks to confirm previous insect or fungal activity (Table 6). DISCUSSION Camper Populations The western United States contains many unique natural areas that attract visitors from all over the nation and the world. Sur- veys indicated that 80% of National Park campers surveyed were ©2011 International Society of Arboriculture Jacobi et al: Firewood Transport by National and State Park Campers from out of state, and online reservation data from four match- ing parks confirmed reservations made by out-of-state visitors were 79% of the total (Table 1). The increasing introduction rates of non-indigenous species are often cited as the result of trends in global commerce or by human mediated transport, and these introductions can be devastating for urban or naturally forested areas (Allen and Humble 2002; Tkacz 2002; Haack 2006; Cushman and Meentemeyer 2008). Based on some as- sumptions of camper behavior—including vehicular travel along major roads and highways, multiple stops, and traveling with a high volume of associated goods from home (including food, firewood, and other essentials)—the study authors hypoth- esize that the sheer numbers of National and State Park campers crossing state borders may be a major pathway of pest transport based on the amount of campers moving untreated, raw wood. Camper-Mediated Firewood Transport Untreated, nonmanufactured wood is known to be a pathway for moving pests into new environments (Tkacz 2002; Haack 2006; Haack et al. 2010). The regulations associated with treat- ing imported raw wood products recognize the risks associated with pest transport via untreated wood (NPB 2010). It has been determined that campers move firewood across state borders and over long distances to new areas of the United States (Table 3). Based on this information, there is strong potential for the movement of firewood to be a high-risk pathway for moving tree pests. The potential risk of approximately 330,000 Nation- al Park campers bringing untreated firewood from other states into the 13 National Parks surveyed indicates the possibility of moving insects and fungi into new areas of the U.S. (Table 3). Forty-one percent of campers with out-of-state firewood were from nonneighboring states and five percent of campers brought firewood from east of the continental divide or from outside of the country, indicating that long-distance transportation of un- treated wood by campers occurs (Table 3). As of July 8, 2010, EAB had been found in 14 U.S. states and Canada, and as far west as Missouri and Minnesota (USDA APHIS 2010). Although federal and state quarantines have been implemented in most in- fested states, firewood was brought to Colorado State and Na- tional Parks from 25 states across the nation (Alaska to New Hampshire to Louisiana) and several campers brought wood from EAB quarantine states (Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Penn- sylvania, and West Virginia). Although highly publicized quar- antines in Midwest states like Michigan occur, recent detailed inspections of firewood in Michigan confirmed that firewood was still being transported, most likely from quarantined coun- ties throughout Michigan and surrounding states, and 23% of the wood contained live wood-boring insects (Haack et al. 2010). Risk Factors Associated with Firewood The risk of firewood as a transportation pathway will vary de- pending on whether bark is attached, if it is in a specific genus, where it was purchased, where it is burned, if it has evidence of previous insect or fungal infestation, or if a suitable host is near the campground. Bark is not readily removed from all firewood pieces and the presence of bark increases the survival ability of wood pests and may attract secondary pests to the wood (Haack and Petrice 2007; Petrice and Haack 2007). There are also risks of Cerambycidae and Scolytinae infesting logs with residual bark
May 2011
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