Moving firewood in Pennsylvania: the 2024 quarantine order, labels and penalties

This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. It follows the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) and its Firewood Quarantine Order, published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin on November 23, 2024.

Where the order comes from

The PDA firewood page says Pennsylvania requires firewood coming into the state to be treated, dried or certified, and links the order in its legal library. The order is notice 24-1672, at 54 Pa.B. 7565. It rescinds and replaces the earlier Order of Quarantine; Firewood of January 16, 2010. The Pennsylvania Bulletin text says the order rests on section 21 of the Plant Pest Act. Its recitals name emerald ash borer, Asian longhorned beetle and spotted lanternfly among the pests behind it, and say emerald ash borer has spread to all counties in Pennsylvania.

What the order covers

The order applies to all firewood from a country, state, commonwealth or territory outside Pennsylvania that is or will be transported into or through the state, unloaded in it, or offered or held for sale in it. Firewood from a Pennsylvania area under a plant pest quarantine order must also meet the heat-treatment requirements. The order defines firewood as all wood, processed or unprocessed, coniferous or hardwood, meant for fuel in a campfire or other outdoor or indoor fire. It says the rule does not apply to sawlogs, pulpwood or wood chips going to facilities for processing.

The requirements

The wood must be certified heat-treated, meaning 71.1 degrees C (160 degrees F) for 75 minutes as measured at the core.
It must be certified and labeled by a federal, state or Department-approved third party.
Records of treatment, method, origin and the final destination in Pennsylvania are kept for two years and made available to the Department on request.
A bill of lading or similar document travels with each shipment, and a copy goes to the buyer when the destination is in Pennsylvania.

The label on each lot, bundle or unit has to give six things: that it is certified heat-treated firewood, the net quantity by weight, measure or count, the name and address of the manufacturer, packer or distributor, the origin by county and by country or state, the certifying authority and certificate number, and a plain-language statement of the heat treatment standard.

Exemptions

Firewood harvested in areas of Pennsylvania that are not under a Department quarantine order for Asian longhorned beetle or other wood-feeding pests is exempt from the treatment requirements. The Department may also exempt firewood certified under an existing program whose methods it recognises and approves.

Enforcement and penalties

The order lets the Department or its agent refuse a shipment that does not comply. For wood found in violation it lists these steps, alone or together: quarantine and stop-sale on the holder's property; heat treatment and certification at the expense of the buyer, importer, exporter, distributor or owner; immediate return to the exporter, distributor or owner at their expense under Department biosecurity standards; and a Treatment Order under section 19 of the Act.

The order says violators face possible summary criminal prosecution and a fine of not more than US$300 for each offense, or a civil penalty of up to US$20,000, or both, plus treatment orders and injunctive relief. False statements on required documents are themselves a violation.

Spotted lanternfly

The PDA spotted lanternfly quarantine page lists firewood of any species among regulated articles. It says intentional movement of the insect is prohibited, and that violations could bring criminal or civil penalties or fines.

For other states and provinces see the table on moving wood and firewood.