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FLORENCE COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - The tree-killing emerald ash borer is getting closer to Wisconsin's Northwoods, and officials of the state's only national forest are concerned.
The green beetle is commonly spread through firewood -- and U.S. Forest Service properties are not as restrictive about firewood usage as the DNR state campgrounds.
The Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest covers much of the northern quarter of the Badger State. Spokeswoman Hilary Markin says the federal rules allow firewood to be brought in from 25 miles away -- and campers can bring wood from home as long as they can prove it was from a certified dealer.
Also, she says the national forest does not sell its own firewood like the state parks do.
In recent months, the DNR has tightened its restrictions to allow firewood from only 10 miles of state parks. Markin says the Forest Service has not discovered the emerald ash borer at the Chequamegon-Nicolet site.
The beetle has killed millions of ash trees in the eastern U.S. and Canada, and it's now in 22 Wisconsin counties. Door County was added to that list this week.
(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)