MDARD Proposes Firewood Quarantine to Stop Invasive Bugs

We have many traditions in the Mitten State. Complaining about the weather. Dodging potholes the size of Delaware. And apparently, smuggling sketchy firewood across state lines like it's contraband. That last one is why the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) is proposing an exterior firewood quarantine, and yes, it's very much about bugs. Very rude bugs.

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Why Michigan Cares About Your Firewood

MDARD, in a recent release, revealed it wants to restrict untreated firewood from entering Michigan because it can carry more than 140 plant pests and diseases. Under the proposal, any firewood entering the state would need to be heat-treated, certified, and accompanied by documentation certifying it's bug-free. Think TSA for logs, but you don't have to take off your shoes.

What the Proposed Firewood Quarantine Would Do

This would apply to all tree species, but before anyone panics and clutches their kindling wood, there are some proposed exemptions. Processed lumber, kiln-dried wood, logs headed straight to processing, and wood chips smaller than an inch would be fine. Locally sourced firewood gathered for personal use? Also fine. Your backyard requires no paperwork.

The Bugs Michigan Is Trying to Stop

Untreated firewood is basically an Uber for Michigan's invasive species. Unlike nursery stock, firewood isn't routinely inspected, making it a sneaky way for nightmares like the spotted lanternfly, Asian longhorned beetle, oak wilt, and beech bark disease to roll into the state uninvited.

How to Weigh In on the Proposal

Once these pests show up, they're expensive, stubborn, and devastating to Michigan's forests and urban trees. In other words, they move in, destroy the place, and never pay their share of the rent.

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If you're traveling, buy certified Michigan firewood and leave the out-of-state logs behind. This quarantine is about protecting forests, not ruining your S'mores. Michiganders can weigh in on the proposed firewood ban through an online survey available through 11:59 p.m. on February 9, 2026.