Recent findings of tree-destroying pests in Worcester, Mass., and Toronto, Canada, have prompted the Maine Department of Conservation to intensify its efforts to discourage out-of-state campers from transporting firewood to Maine – and to quickly burn what they do bring in.

As one component of the effort, campers visiting Baxter State Park and the North Woods this summer are being stopped by Maine Forest Service staff and asked to burn any non-local firewood they may be carrying within 24 hours.

Entomologist Charlene Donahue of the Maine Forest Service said more staff would be deployed to other state parks throughout the summer to help enforce the same protocol.

Although New York, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and most Northwestern states have banned the transportation of out-of-state firewood to local campgrounds, Jeanne Curran, director of public information for the Maine Department of Conservation, said the department’s main focus is educating campground owners.

“We’re not at a point of considering any legislation,” Curran said. “We’re relying mainly on voluntary compliance of local campground owners.”

To that end, Donahue said the Maine Forest Service has initiated a host of educational measures, including visiting RV shows to remind campers not to bring wood from home, sending department interns to private campgrounds to educate owners and campers, inspecting local campgrounds, releasing public service announcements and putting up fliers. The Department of Conservation has allocated about $21,000 this year for preventive measures.

The major impetus behind the intensified effort is the threat posed by tree-destroying non-native insects, particularly the Asian longhorned beetle and the emerald ash borer.

According to Donahue, the Asian longhorned beetle is a large metallic-colored insect capable of killing most hardwood trees and has been found as far north as Worcester, Mass., where it was responsible for the infestation of several trees. Department experts fear that if the beetle is transported into Maine, the state’s maple sugar, furniture-making and tourism industries would suffer.

Additionally, according to the department’s Web site, the emerald ash borer can kill an ash tree within three to five years. “The ash borer has the potential of wiping out ash trees in North America,” Donahue said.

Rick Abare, executive director of the Maine Campground Owners Association, which represents 220 campground owners in the state, added that the threat may be lessened because campers have no need to travel with firewood.

“A majority of campgrounds provide firewood; it’s a typical service,” he said. “Although we’re concerned, it’s not a major concern because the threat doesn’t seem to be here yet.”

Varying levels of concern were also expressed among several local campground owners. At Bethel Outdoors Adventure Campground in Bethel, Mountain View Campground in Dixfield and Vacationland Campground in Harrison, owners said they would not prevent out-of-state campers from bringing in their own wood. All of the owners said they knew little about the threat and had no additional comment.

Donahue said the state is hoping to change that as the educational campaign kicks into gear. She said about 30,000 people – 25 percent of nonlocal campers – transport firewood into Maine.

“It’s too difficult to enforce legislation which prohibits the transportation of firewood into local campgrounds on a state-by-state basis. It would have to be regional,” said Curran, referring to efforts by some states to ban the importation of wood.

Instead, she believes the state’s educational campaign eventually will be enough. “It’s like putting your seat belt on. Enough reminders and you’ll eventually listen.”