Moving firewood in Maryland: state-land ban, thousand cankers and spotted lanternfly quarantines

This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. It follows the Maryland Department of Natural Resources firewood policy, two Maryland Department of Agriculture pest pages and the Don't Move Firewood summary of Maryland. The quarantine orders themselves are not quoted here; this page relies on what the department's own pages say about them.

State land: policy 07:01

The state's Department of Natural Resources firewood policy page reproduces policy number 07:01, effective May 22, 2007. The stated purpose is to reduce the risk of accidentally introducing emerald ash borer. The policy covers all department owned or managed properties and prohibits bringing firewood to campsites from the campers' private supply. Firewood has to be bought from the State Park, State Forest or Wildlife Management Area, or from firewood vendors local to the campsite.

The policy says the prohibition is a condition of the camping permit.
It describes a "Must Read" section in the online reservation system, flyers and posters.
Visitors found with firewood from home are to be asked to burn it as quickly as possible. Repeat violators may have their camping permit revoked.
The policy says local firewood vendors are to be contacted so their wood is bought locally, and that all Forest Product Operators in Maryland were to be sent a letter about the emerald ash borer problem.

The page also says the emerald ash borer quarantine area has been extended and points to a quarantine order held by the agriculture department.

Walnut thousand cankers disease

The state's Department of Agriculture page on walnut twig beetle and thousand cankers disease says the disease is not federally regulated and that several states have set up quarantines. It says the Maryland Secretary of Agriculture issued a quarantine order on January 12, 2015 for a limited action area in Cecil County, and that the order was updated to include all of Baltimore City and part of Baltimore County and signed on May 1, 2019. The page says the order aims to reduce the risk of moving infested material out of the area and to give neighboring states confidence in walnut products from outside it. It also says the Fair Hill Natural Resource Management Area agreed to discontinue its firewood cutting program.

Spotted lanternfly quarantine and permits

The state's Department of Agriculture spotted lanternfly page says the Secretary of Agriculture has issued a quarantine order for 20 Maryland counties, including Baltimore City. It says businesses and institutions are required to be permitted if they move regulated articles from or within the quarantined area. Permitting is free and needs only one representative, who can then train others. Permits from other states are reciprocal with Maryland, and the page says a permit holder should be prepared to present it to a department inspector. It says people found in violation of the order are liable for a civil penalty for each violation, and that the order itself lists the regulated articles, who must hold a permit and the penalty terms. The page records the first Maryland sighting in 2018 in Cecil County and sightings in 20 of 23 counties as of 2025. It links a checklist for homeowners.

The Don't Move Firewood summary

According to the Don't Move Firewood Maryland summary, marked accurate as of December 2025, the Department of Agriculture prohibits moving firewood out of several counties to slow thousand cankers disease and spotted lanternfly, and that anyone moving firewood out of a lanternfly area is directed to a checklist. It adds that the Maryland Association of Campgrounds does not allow outside firewood at its affiliated campsites, that Catoctin Mountain Park prohibits all outside firewood, and that Assateague Island National Seashore requires firewood bought in-state and within 50 miles of its campgrounds.

For other states and provinces see the table on moving wood and firewood. Pennsylvania borders Maryland: see moving firewood in Pennsylvania.