From the Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Missing your favorite flannel shirt in the back of your closet? Before you know it, cooler weather will arrive, bringing opportunities to enjoy your flannel along with flickering bonfires under the stars. With a $20 fuelwood permit, you can collect firewood for your campfires or to warm your winter woodstove.
A fuelwood permit allows users to gather dead and downed wood from designated state forest areas, primarily located in the northern two-thirds of Michigan, for up to 90 days. All permits expire Dec. 31. Purchase permits online through DNR eLicense at bit.ly/MDNReLicense (case sensitive) or in person at select office locations, including the Newberry Customer Service Center at 5100 State Highway M-123.
Fuelwood permits are for personal use, apply to one household and allow for gathering of up to five cords of wood. A cord of wood is 8 feet long, 4 feet wide and 4 feet high.
If you plan to harvest firewood, choose the location nearest to you to reduce the impact of potentially spreading invasive species through diseased or infested wood. Cleaning equipment between uses also helps prevent invasive species’ spread.
If you’ll be camping this fall, remember to leave firewood at home. Purchase what you need from a local vendor near your campsite or choose certified, heat-treated wood. These healthy firewood choices help prevent the introduction of invasive tree pests and diseases that can kill native trees in campgrounds.
See available state forest collection locations, learn about collection rules and find related information at Michigan.gov/Fuelwood.
For fuelwood collection in federally managed forests, find details on your nearest national forest website.
Questions? Contact DNR timber program forester Jake Reid at 517-284-5908.
