Re: Don't Move Firewood

Yosemite is escalating messaging this summer to protect native forests from invasive insects and diseases. When making a reservation on Recreation.gov, campers now see:
Please Don't Move Firewood: Please protect Yosemite National Park from invasive species by obtaining or purchasing your firewood at or near your camping destination. Firewood from out of the area can carry insects and diseases that threaten the health of our western forests. You can make a difference by buying and burning your firewood locally. http://www.nps.gov/yose/naturescience/forest-pests.htm.

Visitors will begin seeing the message on posters and cards in National Park Service and US Forest Service contact stations and campgrounds in July. Yosemite has not instituted a firewood ban like Shenandoah National Park. We are simply asking visitors (and residents) to acquire their firewood within 50 miles of their planned fires. Invasive forest pests are already in city landscapes in Merced, Madera, and Fresno! Workers don't need to confiscate or destroy wood from beyond the 50-mile zone; we just ask for voluntary compliance, and that if uninformed campers bring wood from outside the area that they burn it all during their stay.

I don't necessarily understand the arbitrary distance. I recall the firewood I bought at the Curry Village store was labelled as being from some place south of Fresno.

Perhaps it had been treated or certified?

Just a side note; but burn your firewood completely, the night before (maybe burn one of those treated 3-hour logs, at a time), or someone will steal it. Keep your bear box locked, if possible. Also, buy your firewood outside the park, or you will literally pay an arm and a leg, for it.

How can you type with only one arm and one leg?

Or did you not mean "literally?"

:^)

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Check our our website: http://www.backpackthesierra.com/
Or just read a good mystery novel set in the Sierra; https://www.amazon.com/Danger-Falling-Rocks-Paul-Wagner/dp/0984884963

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balzaccom
How can you type with only one arm and one leg?

Or did you not mean "literally?"

:^)

He didn't say his arm and a leg, any one will do.

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Red Lipstick
Keep your bear box locked, if possible

At the trailhead that is one of the most rude things you can do, but I guess at campsites everyone has their own so its okay...

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oakroscoe

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Red Lipstick
Keep your bear box locked, if possible

At the trailhead that is one of the most rude things you can do, but I guess at campsites everyone has their own so its okay...

Locking a trailhead bear box will get the lock removed by force.

Yes sir, especially if its my cooler that is in the locked bear box...

Which I had to do myself two weekends ago.

Left a nice little note explaining the err of their ways...

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After 4 or 5 days in the backcountry, those two beers that are almost chilled in the cooler in the bear box are like heaven after pounding out the miles on a dusty trail. Seeing the bear box being locked would definitely spoil my good mood. I don't carry a universal key (aka boltcutters) in my truck, but for the majority of padlocks out there, its ridiculously easy to break them with leverage. But really though, the gall of someone to do that? Talk about putting yourself first and not thinking about other people...

So you recommend bringing a lock to lock our bearboxes at Yosemite? - Are people really that bad? - The bears can't get in locked or not right?

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SoCalCPA
So you recommend bringing a lock to lock our bearboxes at Yosemite? - Are people really that bad? - The bears can't get in locked or not right?

I've never locked one and I've never had anything taken.

I understand the reasoning, but it still sucks. The wood we bought there last July was the crummiest firewood I've bought in ages. It took forever to light, hissed at us all night, and cost a fortune.

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itchbay
I understand the reasoning, but it still sucks. The wood we bought there last July was the crummiest firewood I've bought in ages. It took forever to light, hissed at us all night, and cost a fortune.

I agree with you. For years, they carried "Old Durham" brand almond wood in the Valley, which was a good quality firewood.
Then they switched last year to "Dave's firewood" (I think it's called?) and I noticed the drop in quality the first time I used it.

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PineCone

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itchbay
I understand the reasoning, but it still sucks. The wood we bought there last July was the crummiest firewood I've bought in ages. It took forever to light, hissed at us all night, and cost a fortune.

I agree with you. For years, they carried "Old Durham" brand almond wood in the Valley, which was a good quality firewood.
Then they switched last year to "Dave's firewood" (I think it's called?) and I noticed the drop in quality the first time I used it.

With minimum nighttime temperatures not dropping below 50°F in the valley from June through September inclusive, we hope that people are only using this firewood for cooking.
http://cdec.water.ca.gov/jspplot/jspPlotServlet.jsp?sensor_no=8288&end=07%2F06%2F2011+09%3A20&geom=medium&interval=720&cookies=cdec01
(Warmly Yours)
The Marmots



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/06/2011 09:30AM by szalkowski.

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szalkowski
[With minimum nighttime temperatures not dropping below 50°F in the valley from June through September inclusive, we hope that people are only using this firewood for cooking.
http://cdec.water.ca.gov/jspplot/jspPlotServlet.jsp?sensor_no=8288&end=07%2F06%2F2011+09%3A20&geom=medium&interval=720&cookies=cdec01
(Warmly Yours)
The Marmots

How true. I seldom go in the summer, as it's too crowded for my liking. Last two weeks of September, you could always
count on Fall temperatures conducive to campfires at night. 2 years ago, had a week of summer-like weather and a week
of Fall weather.
Last year, had two weeks of summer-like weather, and had maybe 2 campfires at best over 15 nights, just too warm for
a fire.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/06/2011 10:29AM by PineCone.

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PineCone

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itchbay
I understand the reasoning, but it still sucks. The wood we bought there last July was the crummiest firewood I've bought in ages. It took forever to light, hissed at us all night, and cost a fortune.

I agree with you. For years, they carried "Old Durham" brand almond wood in the Valley, which was a good quality firewood.
Then they switched last year to "Dave's firewood" (I think it's called?) and I noticed the drop in quality the first time I used it.

Instead of buying expensive firewood from DNC, with just a litte bit of planning, one can purchase a Wood Permit from Yosemite National Park's El Portal Fiscal Office. A wood permit will enable you to collect firewood from Yosemite's wood lots, located in Yosemite Valley, El Portal, Foresta, Hodgdon Meadows, and Wawona. The wood permit costs $10 per cord (with a 6 cords per year maximum).

I don't really see how anything could get off the wood, as long as you burn every scrap of wood you brought, it should be okay. I dunno. They probably have those rules for a reason.

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oakroscoe
I don't really see how anything could get off the wood, as long as you burn every scrap of wood you brought, it should be okay. I dunno. They probably have those rules for a reason.

What is the wood doing before you burn it? Bugs fly you know.

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Dave

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oakroscoe
I don't really see how anything could get off the wood, as long as you burn every scrap of wood you brought, it should be okay. I dunno. They probably have those rules for a reason.

What is the wood doing before you burn it? Bugs fly you know.

So when you buy wood there it says its from Fresno or Oakdale, why can't you just pick it up at Oakdale or Fresno on the way up?

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oakroscoe
So when you buy wood there it says its from Fresno or Oakdale, why can't you just pick it up at Oakdale or Fresno on the way up?

It might have a insect that is not in Yosemite and could cause great damage. Do you want to be the one to transport a mated Gypsy moth into the park?

For 10 years I was an insect trapper in Alameda County. You'd be surprised how many exotic insects I caught and how they got here. Speaking of Gypsy moths; the next time you drive around the park look for small green, triangular, boxes tied to a tree. They're usually near campgrounds. Those are for Gypsy moths. There is a pheromone in the trap that will bring in a male from a mile away. What's wrong with Gypsy moths? They will eat Yosemite.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/06/2011 07:25PM by Dave.

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Dave

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oakroscoe
So when you buy wood there it says its from Fresno or Oakdale, why can't you just pick it up at Oakdale or Fresno on the way up?

It might have a insect that is not in Yosemite and could cause great damage. Do you want to be the one to transport a mated Gypsy moth into the park?

For 10 years I was an insect trapper in Alameda County. You'd be surprised how many exotic insects I caught and how they got here. Speaking of Gypsy moths; the next time you drive around the park look for small green, triangular, boxes tied to a tree. They're usually near campgrounds. Those are for Gypsy moths. There is a pheromone in the trap that will bring in a male from a mile away. What's wrong with Gypsy moths? They will eat Yosemite.

The distance and "buy locally" does seem arbitrary though. I know it makes it easier to understand for the visitor. However - I doubt there's much commercially sold firewood that's actually cut from within 50 miles of Yosemite. I know it simplifies things, but Oakhurst or Mariposa are within that range, but the firewood sold in those places could have been transported over 100 miles.

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y_p_w
The distance and "buy locally" does seem arbitrary though.

It's not, but it's not as if they are going to arrest you for it. It's a simple request, not a mandate that carries a prison sentence.

Its kind of a moot point for me, since I don't car camp in the Park. If I'm in the Park, I am backpacking, so obviously i'm not carrying wood with me. Although, I must admit, I have toyed with the idea of getting on that ask yahoo BS and recommending novice backpackers carrying firewood with them, just in case they can't find any. Haha, seriously though, I was just playing devil's advocate. If it is a rule in the Park, i will follow it to the letter. For instance, if I am in the park and within 7 aerial miles from a road, I will have a bear canister. If its a suggestion (or recommended) by the Rangers then I will use my best judgment. But to answer your question, no I would not want to be the idiot who introduced a non-native species to the Park. Although, I don't quite see how a moth could eat granite...

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oakroscoe
If it is a rule in the Park, i will follow it to the letter. For instance, if I am in the park and within 7 aerial miles from a road, I will have a bear canister.

That rule was changed several years ago. Bear canisters are now required throughout the entire park.

See the second paragraph:
http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/bearcans.htm

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oakroscoe
...Although, I don't quite see how a moth could eat granite...

The last time I looked; there was a bit more to Yosemite than just granite outcrops.

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oakroscoe
Although, I don't quite see how a moth could eat granite...

Wow. Where to begin. Two years ago, I took many pictures of groves (one of the other things in the park besides happy granite) that had the appearance of being torched by heat, yet not burned. It turned out that a bore (beetle) -- originally from Colorado -- was basically sucking the life out of the trees of Yosemite. Left unchecked, one would be wishing for a fire, rather than continued devastation by these insects.

Gypsy moths can destroy a forest even faster; banish the thought that they, too, should enter the park.

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The body betrays and the weather conspires, hopefully, not on the same day.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/07/2011 08:31PM by Bee.

I put all kinds of links here w/r to Trees for that Stanford Student:

http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,36846,37494#msg-37494

Some places don't look so healthy...

I guess either the person never saw the post or found it useless or didn't appreciate the waste of my time.

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YES. Those are the pictures. If anyone wants to see a "small" consequence of an insect invasion -- take a good look at these pics.

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The body betrays and the weather conspires, hopefully, not on the same day.

Naturally, I meant the sites...

I have personally had wood stolen from my pit, but by all means, do what you like.

You just have to do like the animals do, mark all your property with your urine to prevent its theft! Just kidding. In all seriousness, that is yet another reason that I love backpacking, i have never had nor have I known anyone who has had any gear stolen in the backcountry. I have no qualms about leaving everything i have (minus my truck keys) and going on an all day dayhike away from camp because I know everything will be there when I get back.

I noticed at the Topaz Lake agriculture checkpoint for the first time I was asked not just if I had any fruits and veggies but also if I had any firewood