Residents looking to save on heating costs this fall can collect firewood from select state-managed lands with a Michigan Department of Natural Resources fuelwood permit, valid through Dec. 31.
The permits cost $20 and allow individuals to gather dead and downed wood for personal use from designated areas in the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula. Each permit authorizes up to five standard cords of wood — a stack measuring 4 feet by 4 feet by 8 feet. In the 12-county region hit hardest by the March ice storm, the limit increases to 10 cords. All collected wood must come from dead or downed trees within 200 feet of a road.
Permits can be obtained three ways: online at mdnr-elicense.com; in person at DNR customer service centers and select forestry field offices; or by mailing an application to the office that oversees the area where you plan to collect wood.
The DNR reminds residents to follow safety and collection rules:
- Do not drive off-road; wheelbarrows and handcarts are allowed.
- Only gather wood from trees already dead and downed.
- Keep your permit with you and complete the collection log before transporting wood.
- Firewood gathered under the permit may not be sold or traded.
- Collect wood close to where it will be used to help prevent the spread of invasive pests.
The DNR also cautions that storm debris in the northern Lower Peninsula may pose hazards. Wood collectors should watch for unstable branches or debris and consider wearing blaze orange during deer season.
