Public Land firewood for you Easterners?

[moosetrek]

One opf the nice things about living out here is that we have ready access to millions of acres of firewood, the Forest Service sells it for $10/cord cut your own and the BLM sells it for $5/cord. Just wondering, is there anything similar in the east? I haven't lived there in a while, and when I did we had all our own wood on the farm. But I was thinking about it the other day on the last firewood run. There were several timber decks, hundreds of cords all stacked in 24' lengths. No one else around for 20 miles. If I had one I could load 10+ cords on a semi and be set for a couple years; all for the cost of fuel, a lot of sweat, and $50.

So what's the availability of cut-your-own on the East? What are the costs and rules? Can you cut in the parks like the Adirondacks, etc.? Just wondering, I see a lot of posts by people scrounging wood so didn't know if availability is why it's more popular there?

 

[SolarAndWood]

If I wasn't so spoiled by urban scrounging, I would consider heading 20 miles down the road and pay my $15/cd to take it off state land. They let you use tractors.

http://www.dec.ny.gov/press/50594.html

I cut in the Adirondack park as well. But, its land that's been in the family since the depression. A good portion of the park is private land.

 

[Dix]

Can't do anything like that here.

Heaven forbid

 

[hareball]

$20 a cord here. You have 2 days to get in and get out. It's on a first come first serve and usually cant get more than a cord depending on how much is needed to be culled.

 

[Wood Duck]

State Forests in PA usually have areas open for firewood cutting- only dead, downed wood I think. Often these areas have been logged recently, and I think at first it would be pretty easy to get a lot of wood. i think you have to haul it out by hand to the road. most of this state has state forest nearby. I can get to state forest within 10 minutes west or about 15 minutes east of here. There is a fee, which I think is like $15 - I am not sure they charge by the cord. I don't know if commercial firewood dealers are allowed. It may be for personal use only.

 

[Gary_602z]

Shoot here in Michigan they bring it in to me and Dennis free of charge! Then we just have to decide how to split it!

Gary

 

[Clarkbar2311]

Shoot here in Michigan they bring it in to me and Dennis free of charge! Then we just have to decide how to split it!

Gary

I'm in Michigan how do I make this happen for me??

 

[EatenByLimestone]

EAB quarantine won't allow firewood to be moved more than 40 miles. I understand that there are similar permits up here, but don't know how many use them.

Matt

 

[ecocavalier02]

Wish there was a place like that here in ct to just to do that. Never heard of such a thing. Who would you talk to to do this?

 

[ecocavalier02]

Well I guess there is I need to apply! http://www.ct.gov/dep/lib/dep/forestry/firewood_lottery_winners.pdf

 

[azsteven]

Wish there was a place like that here in ct to just to do that. Never heard of such a thing. Who would you talk to to do this?

I spoke with our town administrator and town counsel about this. In our town (and probably most) they would be glad for citizens to remove dead/downed trees from town property. The department of public works is extremely underfunded, so basically as long as it's down it's fair game. One of my neighbors was telling me that this actually dates back to colonial times, where a standing tree belonged to the crown, but a downed tree (storm/wind/dead) was free to whomever claimed it.

Nonetheless, I haven't taken advantage of this permission yet. Instead, I've been scrounging at the town dump/recycling center. They have a section just for me labeled "logs and stumps." I just drive in, back up, sift through the punky/pines, and grab the good stuff. Last week I got some kind of maple (and one massive pine round by mistake), this week I got white oak. All cut to reasonable length, so at most I make one more cut before splitting. All told I've picked up about a cord in the last 3 weeks. Maybe you've got a town dump near you?

 

[ecocavalier02]

Wish there was a place like that here in ct to just to do that. Never heard of such a thing. Who would you talk to to do this?

I spoke with our town administrator and town counsel about this. In our town (and probably most) they would be glad for citizens to remove dead/downed trees from town property. The department of public works is extremely underfunded, so basically as long as it's down it's fair game. One of my neighbors was telling me that this actually dates back to colonial times, where a standing tree belonged to the crown, but a downed tree (storm/wind/dead) was free to whomever claimed it.

Nonetheless, I haven't taken advantage of this permission yet. Instead, I've been scrounging at the town dump/recycling center. They have a section just for me labeled "logs and stumps." I just drive in, back up, sift through the punky/pines, and grab the good stuff. Last week I got some kind of maple (and one massive pine round by mistake), this week I got white oak. All cut to reasonable length, so at most I make one more cut before splitting. All told I've picked up about a cord in the last 3 weeks. Maybe you've got a town dump near you?

yeah i do. i also have about 14 cords in my backyard. lol i have a hook up with a tree service plus my uncle has land he'll let me take stuff down. i just like being able to get out in the woods to cut.

 

[Tarmsolo60]

No public land cutting allowed here in the Adirondacks.

 

[KeepItNatural]

Over here in CT I have not heard of anything of the such- however many people on the Gold Coast get rid of their fallen trees & limbs for nothing- it doesn't even out- but... thats the way it goes.

 

[ckarotka]

The closest and most affordable place for me would be state game lands. They told me "NO NO NO NO NO NO" even for stuff that is down/dead. They didn't even like that I called them to ask. Very rude.

 

[CountryBoy19]

We have a national forest within 20 miles of here, and IIRC, it's $10 for 2 cords or 4 truckloads (cannot exceed either of those numbers). It's only on dead/downed wood, and they tell you where to cut it. There are no motorized vehicle permitted in the forest so if the wood isn't near the road, then forget it.

Honestly, anybody that pays that would have to be crazy because around here all you have to do is ask a landowner and you can have access to a lot of tree tops left from logging, and you can just drive right up to it, cut it up, load it, and drive off.

The public land stuff is for those people too lazy/timid/stupid to ask a landowner for permission to cut on his property.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Shoot here in Michigan they bring it in to me and Dennis free of charge! Then we just have to decide how to split it!

Gary

:lol: The splitting part is easy.


We are blessed in Michigan with thousands of acres of both state and federal land. Many years ago I cut a goodly amount off of some state land and then you needed a permit from the DNR but it was free. You were allowed 10 cord but if you needed more, you just had to get another free permit. Now they do charge some but I don't know what the charge is. Used to be $10 and still allowed 10 cord.

You are supposed to take only the stuff that is down but I once got the blessing of the DNR and was allowed to cut a big area of standing maple that they wanted cut. I saved them lots of work and they helped to keep our home warm a couple of years.

 

[moosetrek]

We have a national forest within 20 miles of here, and IIRC, it's $10 for 2 cords or 4 truckloads (cannot exceed either of those numbers). It's only on dead/downed wood, and they tell you where to cut it. There are no motorized vehicle permitted in the forest so if the wood isn't near the road, then forget it.

Honestly, anybody that pays that would have to be crazy because around here all you have to do is ask a landowner and you can have access to a lot of tree tops left from logging, and you can just drive right up to it, cut it up, load it, and drive off.

The public land stuff is for those people too lazy/timid/stupid to ask a landowner for permission to cut on his property.

I usually load up the truck with dogs, coffee, a couple guns and lunch, and make a day of it in the forest. Out here, most private land is used for ranching or ag, so many landowners don't want dogs running loose chasing cattle. Additionally, our state is 46% public land. Some places it's hard to find private land, especially with trees on it. Yes, there are a couple ranchers I can cut elm and some hardwood on, but for fun and satisfaction nothing beats a day in the mountains. Lazy? I spend much more energy and sweat that way, as the elevation is around 9000' plus so it's a pretty challenging workout at altitude. Maybe spend some time out in this part of the country before you offer such wisdom; but be careful you may leave here lazy, stupid, and/or timid.

 

[ecocavalier02]

[quote author="ckarotka" date="1289729092"]The closest and most affordable place for me would

 

[Llamaman]

Yesterday swung by DPW yard for my town - I have been stalking the area where they park the tree trucks as there are often logs that have not been chipped - I have been paranoid about the "Infrared Cameras in Use After Hours" signage but yesterday noticed sign over pile of large pretty oak rounds that said "No Cutting or Splitting of Firewood" - no mention of no taking of it! Filled the trailer and came home with sweet pile of oak for next year or the year after - I love it!

Taxes here are pretty high so why not a little free wood rebate............I will be back there soon

 

[ohio woodburner]

Honestly, anybody that pays that would have to be crazy because around here all you have to do is ask a landowner and you can have access to a lot of tree tops left from logging, and you can just drive right up to it, cut it up, load it, and drive off.

The public land stuff is for those people too lazy/timid/stupid to ask a landowner for permission to cut on his property.

>:-( Hmm... I take full advantage of Ohio's program. It makes sense to me. $10 for cutting wood all day. Leaving the mess for them. Between my parents and in laws i have access to 50 acres of woods. Why not cut there? Save it for when i really need it. I'm definitely not lazy, been known to be stupid sometimes though.

 

[precaud]

Taxes here are pretty high so why not a little free wood rebate............I will be back there soon

Glad to see I'm not alone in the firewood-with-risk game...

 

[Llamaman]

with my good looks I should be safe from assaults in prison

 

[billb3]

I doubt they care about looks.



Used to be able to go into the state forest with a $25.00 permit and cut marked trees.

Early eighties there were so many people cutting just anything and making such messes there had to be so much policing and limits for numbers of people in the woods on weekends , even with lotteries for permits, they ended the program one year and I never did it again.



Town bought a huge chipper that can chip stumps and apparently just about anything else and mix the semi-composted chips with sewer treatment sludge which gets sold to a potting soil company.
Very little wood gets left around for anyone to snag - and its probably valuable town property on the side of the road.

 

[moosetrek]

Too bad some poorly-behaved fools had to spoil the deal... seems like that happens a lot. It sounds like many places still have some type of wood on a cut-your-own basis, just gotta figure out the hoops to jump through for a permit (who, when, how much, etc.).