Highway wood in CT

[Fiziksgeek]

Hey all, So we had our Jotul Rockland insert installed back in March, burned a couple fires to break it in, but really have no need to use it until next fall. I have about 1/3 of a cord of well seasoned Ash left over from the previous owner, stacked and covered before we bought the house, ~2 years ago. Our plan is to buy a couple cords of supposedly seasoned wood locally for next season, and let it sit through the summer.

We've been doing some yard renovation, took down 2 more ash trees, one ~16" in diameter at chest height the other ~20 inches, and we have a few more planned later in the summer, a maple, an oak, and 2-3 ash of varying sizes. This will hopefully provide what we will need in the 2013-2014 winter, and maybe the 2014-2015 season.

But eventually, I am going to run out of trees to cut down. Anyone know the laws here in CT for collecting firewood from the side of roads/highways? My dad thought I needed to get a permit and was limited to a certain amount of wood. I know in some areas there are also laws about how far you can transport wood because of invasive pests. Google hasn't been much help, can anyone point me in the right direction?

 

[seeyal8r]

Speaking for Oklahoma. Trees on the Right of Way will eventually be removed by maintenance crews. They usually pile it up and burn it or shred it and spread the mulch out. You are required to have $1M in liability insurance to work on the highway r/w. But nobody would stop somebody from cutting a dead tree up as long as it was done away from traffic. Of course your rules could be different.

 

[toonces]

the DEP (i think) issues firewood permits for designated lots but i imagine these are wooded areas in state forests and such. if i were to gather anything off the side of the road, i'd ask whoever owns the property along that route or the municipality/state/etc. i've thought of driving around with my trailer and knocking on doors b/c i see always see piles of unsplit wood right next to the road, but not quite clearly up for grabs. better to ask then get busted for theft.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I understand there is still a glut of downed trees in that state from the hurricane. See some downed trees or limbs. Stop and ask. One poster on here, iskiatomic, has really put up a lot of wood that all came from the damage done by the hurricane.

 

[Fiziksgeek]

For example, I was driving down the Merritt from Oxford to Stamford last weekend, and saw piles of cut trees, 5-10 ft lengths, looked to be 12-18" diameter, laid on the side of the road. The areas were relatively safe to pull off, full shoulder and enough grass to pull completely off the pavement, so about as safe as you can get on the Merritt (most of it not like that). If I happen to have a saw with me, would I be breaking any laws to pull over and take some?

After Irene, and again after the Oct snow storm, I saw guys with pick-up all over the place, following the tree companies around, taking everything they could....

I found this page for harvesting wood from state land....

http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2697&q=429464&depNav_GID=1631

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I would never take the wood without finding out who it belonged to and then ask permission.

 

[iskiatomic]

The state of CT has been doing alot of trimmind and pruning along the highways and Merit. Not quite sure what the law is to be picking the wood. BUT REALLY! DO WANT TO RISK YOUR ASS WITH PEOPLE DOING 75 MPH TEXTING AND TALKING ON CELL PHONES FOR SOME BTUS? GOD BLESS YOU, OR I CALL THIS THINNING THE HEARD!


KC

 

[gregbesia]

About 2 months ago , on my way from work I noticed crews cutting trees along a highway ( I 84) . This was like 3 miles from my home. I went back there with my small trailer after they left. There was so much wood there , and other people already taking it. On my second trip there a state trooper pulled up. He asked us who gave us permission to take that wood. We tried to tell him that all that wood will end up as mulch or in a landfill . He said it was a state property and we had no right to be there. I realize I was lucky that I did not get a ticket or a court date.
I got about 3/4 cord of locust, but there was probably 50 times more, o well

 

[Beer Belly]

There was some tree cutting on Rt.7 in my area (State Road)....I called the and they told me if it's there after 10 days, I could have it.....so I went back after 10 days with my chainsaw and went for it. Call the State Highway garage in the area, and ask....maybe some at the garage you can grab also.

 

[Wood Duck]

I have to say that if it was safe to pull over and I thought the wood was owned by the highway department (who sees it as a hassle, not an asset), I might pull over and take some. I think it would be easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission.

 

[seeyal8r]

For example, I was driving down the Merritt from Oxford to Stamford last weekend, and saw piles of cut trees, 5-10 ft lengths, looked to be 12-18" diameter, laid on the side of the road. The areas were relatively safe to pull off, full shoulder and enough grass to pull completely off the pavement, so about as safe as you can get on the Merritt (most of it not like that). If I happen to have a saw with me, would I be breaking any laws to pull over and take some?

After Irene, and again after the Oct snow storm, I saw guys with pick-up all over the place, following the tree companies around, taking everything they could....

I found this page for harvesting wood from state land....

http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2697&q=429464&depNav_GID=1631

Just get it. The state guys don't want to haul it off. If somebody tells you you aren't supposed to be doing that then leave. Otherwise it'll be buried, mulched, or burned in a pile. Which is a real waste.

 

[RED FRONTIER]

I comute between Hartford and Norwich on RT 2 . It looks like a tornado went through. I have been stopping for years to get wood. I come through aroun 3:00pm and alot of guys are grabbing it. I never stop unless all four wheels are on the grass shoulderer. I had a officer stop once and just told me to pull way off the road and be carefull.

 

[TradEddie]

better to ask then get busted for theft.

I have to say that if it was safe to pull over and I thought the wood was owned by the highway department (who sees it as a hassle, not an asset), I might pull over and take some. I think it would be easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission.

Courts don't offer forgiveness. Unless you have permission from the property owner, or know for sure that your state or local laws allow this, you are stealing, not scrounging. Last fall, someone tried to "scrounge" rounds from the side of the road, on my property. Since they tried this 20 yards from my front door, in broad daylight, I have to assume they honestly believed they were somehow entitled to do it. If I had been home, I would have called the police and pushed for prosecution.

If you saw a log splitter unattended in the same spot, would you stop and take that?

TE