Wood from the dump/transfer station

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Stelcom66

Minister of Fire
Nov 6, 2014
791
Connecticut
Does anyone bring back wood from the dump? I'll usually see what's in the brush pile. Yesterday I saw some worth bringing back, I'll assume it's unseasoned so won't use it until the fall of 2017. Don't know what it is, maybe some pine but that's OK.

[Hearth.com] Wood from the dump/transfer station
 
I did a few times before a Public Works guy saw me loading up and said I couldn't take any more since a contractor pays the city for the wood which he grinds up and sells as bio fuel. It's disappointing when I go there occasionally and see some hard wood.
 
Absolutely I get wood from the compost sites around here, they can be a great source of firewood! And you have hardwoods there to the right, doesn't look like Pine to me....
 
Good - I thought they were hardwoods too. I never thought of the town selling the wood, no one has ever said anything and I've done it several times, hopefully it's allowed. There's always a huge pile of mulch free for the taking - so I'm thinking that's what happens to most of the brush, maybe some logs too.
 
Good - I thought they were hardwoods too. I never thought of the town selling the wood, no one has ever said anything and I've done it several times, hopefully it's allowed. There's always a huge pile of mulch free for the taking - so I'm thinking that's what happens to most of the brush, maybe some logs too.

Normally I am very much about asking first . . . especially if the wood is on private property. However, in this case, if I was you, I would have no issue with continuing to take wood unless someone from the town says anything. From reading many posts here, it sounds as if most cities and towns are just the opposite from where I work -- most seem to have to pay someone to take the wood and get rid of it vs. someone paying the town for the wood.
 
I agree with firefighterjake. Most of em are glad to be rid of the stuff.
 
Keep in mind it may be at the dump for reason. Two reasons I can think of is poison ivy or metal in the wood. I would suggest a metal detector may be in order.
 
on the right looks like red maple

that stumpy looking chunk on the left looks like pretty punky oak - kinda hard to tell from that pic, but oak gets punky just like that and the heartwood is usually hard as a rock and burns well. Either slice the punk off or keep it out of the rain.


Our town has a huge stump grinder and sells chips too.
Doing just about anything besides paying the town to grind up stumps and unwanted wood is prohibited.
Some goes into compost and that gets sold as well.
Selectmen's friends' businesses get some nice perks.
Next town over allows gives/rations compost back to town residents - nice perk if you can use it even if it does have a bit of plastic in it.
 
My Town told me no way can I take the wood at the transfer station because of "liability" issues.
But they have no problem if I want to scrounge roadside when the utility company has trees dropped.

Go figure.
 
I also was concerned about the quality of the wood and wondered why it was dumped. Sometimes I'll see rotten pieces which of course I won't take. The larger cut pieces were maybe (I hope) just cut so they could be lifted into a truck.

So it appears there's a few different trees in the truck. After I split them I'll put them in a different area to season - not to be burned for a while. I get mulch often from the transfer station, but yes it can have what appears to be pieces of plastic bags and who knows what else.
 
City grinds all wood they pick up, nothing to pick at the dump.

bob
 
X2 on the wood likely being red maple
 
I work 2 short blocks from the forestry lot of our city parks department. I can almost see the wood pile from my office.
I get a permit each year at no charge.
I am probably 6 years ahead so sadly I never go and pickup or cut from the forestry lot.
 
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