With winter quickly approaching, the Department of Natural Resources reminds residents that fuelwood permits are available for the 2014 season, which runs through Dec. 31.
“Days are getting shorter and as much as we don’t want to think about it, it’s time to start preparing for winter,” said Bill O’Neill, chief of the DNR’s Forest Resources Division. “Burning wood is an economical way for folks to heat their homes, cabins and hunting camps if they’re willing to put in some work collecting firewood.”
Permits cost $20 and are for use on designated state forest land in the northern two-thirds of the state and allow for collection of up to five standard cords of wood per household. Fuelwood collected with a permit can be used for personal use only and cannot be resold or traded. The permits are good for 90 days, but all permits will expire Dec. 31, 2014.
In response to residents’ heating energy needs this past winter, the DNR conducted early permit sales – more than a month before the traditional starting date of April 1. Because of the unique winter, the DNR is allowing those who purchased an emergency permit to purchase another regular permit in the same calendar year.
Through the successful program, which has been in effect for decades, between 2,500 and 3,500 permits are issued each year.
