The Emerald Ash Borer is present in Dane County and much of the state. Dane County has taken steps to prepare for this invasive beetle through the County’s Emerald Ash Borer and Wood Utilization Strategic Management Plan. This plan works to reduce the environmental impacts of the Emerald Ash Borer within Dane County, mitigate the potential economic and social costs associated with control efforts and damage, and find ways to put wood formerly considered “waste” to positive and profitable use. Since an increased volume of wood residue will be among the Emerald Ash Borer’s most significant consequences, the plan also outlines various options for dealing with wood materials—from infestations as well as potential storm events—in an economically and environmentally sound manner.
Due to the confirmed presence of Emerald Ash Borer in Dane County and much of the state, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (WDATCP) has put the State of Wisconsin under quarantine. Exotic and native forest pests such as Agrilus planipennis (emerald ash borer), Anoplophora glabripennis (Asian longhorned beetle), and others cause serious damage to urban and natural forests in the United States.
These pests and many others have the ability to spread various distances through multiple pathways, including the movement of firewood. Therefore, it's now Dane County policy that residents can't take firewood from Dane County to non-quarantine counties. Also, campers in parks within the county can no longer carry leftover firewood home with them if they live outside of the county.
Please contact Dane County Parks for additional information: (608) 224-3730 or dane-parks@danecounty.gov.
