Code of Vermont Rules › Agency 12 - AGENCY OF NATURAL RESOURCES › Sub-Agency 020 - DEPARTMENT OF FORESTS, PARKS AND RECREATION › Chapter 014 - IMPORTATION OF UNTREATED FIREWOOD INTO THE STATE OF VERMONT › Section 12 020 014 - IMPORTATION OF UNTREATED FIREWOOD INTO THE STATE OF VERMONT

Current through June,
				2024
Section 1 Authority
This Rule is adopted pursuant to the authority of
				  10 V.S.A.
				  §
											2681, 10 V.S.A. § 2661, 2662,
				  2663 and 2664. Pursuant to
				  10 V.S.A.
				  §
											2681, the Commissioner of the
				  Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation is required to adopt rules
				  regulating the importation of untreated firewood into the State of Vermont. The
				  Commissioner is authorized to conduct surveys and investigations of public and
				  private lands and to require control measures and take other actions to prevent
				  or control the infestation of forest pests pursuant to 10 V.S.A. §§
				  2661-2664.
Section 2 Policy
				and Purpose
The purpose of this Rule is to protect forest health by
				  preventing the long-distance movement of wood-borne invasive forest pests into
				  the State of Vermont through the transportation of untreated firewood into the
				  State.
Section 3
				Definitions
The following definitions shall apply in the interpretation
				  and enforcement of this Rule.
1.
				"Commissioner" means the Commissioner of the Department of Forests, Parks and
				Recreation or the Commissioner's designated representative.
2. "Firewood" means untreated or treated wood
				processed for residential, recreational, or commercial use in any wood-burning
				appliance or fireplace, either indoor or outdoor, that is cut to a length less
				than 48 inches, either split or unsplit. "Firewood" shall not mean wood chips,
				wood pellets, pulpwood, logs 48 inches or more in length, or other wood sold or
				transported for manufacturing purposes.
3. "Invasive species" means
(A) nonnative plant pests that are capable of
				spreading into the State and that threaten forest health; and
(B) native plant pests, designated by the
				Commissioner, that are present in the State, that are capable of spreading to
				new areas of the State, and that threaten forest health.
4. "Origin" means the location where the
				tree, from which the firewood was cut, was grown, and any other location where
				the firewood was cut, processed, or stored.
5. "Person" means any individual or
				combination of individuals, partnership, corporation, company, society,
				association, governmental organization, university, or other entity and each
				officer, agent, or employee.
6.
				"Plant pests" shall be defined as in
				6 V.S.A. §
											1030(12).
7. "Quarantine" means a legal declaration or
				rule adopted by the Commissioner to prevent the spread of highly injurious
				plant pests which specifies the plant pest, plants, parts of plants, plant
				products or the regulated articles, conditions governing movement, the area or
				areas quarantined, and any exemptions.
8. "Regulatory agency" means the United
				States Department of Agriculture or other agency that regulates plant pests in
				any state of the United States, Canadian province, or country where firewood is
				treated or is under a compliance agreement regarding treatment.
9. "Treated firewood" means firewood that has
				been processed and treated in a manner sufficient to prevent invasive species
				from surviving, as set forth in section 4.3 of this Rule.
10. "Untreated firewood" means firewood that
				is not "treated firewood."
11.
				"Wood sold or transported for manufacturing purposes" includes wood sawn into
				boards, planks, or structural members such as beams.