Personal Use Fuelwood Permit

The Forest Resources Division administers the issuance of fuelwood permits for the state forests in the Upper and Northern Lower Peninsulas. The permits are issued by the Management Unit Offices.

            

• Permits are for State Forest land in the northern 2/3s of the state
• Cost is $20.00
• Permits are for up to five standard* cords
• Fuelwood is for personal use only and cannot be resold or traded
• Wood must be dead AND down and within 200 feet of a road
• One permit per household annually
• Permits are good for 90 days from purchase
• Permit period is from April 1st - December 31st

Additional Information

State Forest Land:

Frequently Asked Questions on Fuelwood Permits

Forest Resources Division Office Locations

Management Unit Map

PR 4166 - Sample Fuelwood Permit

PR 4166-1 - Fuelwood Permit Application

IC 4166-C - Oak Wilt information

IC 4112 - Rule on Firewood Movement - Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Other State Land:

If you are interested in fuelwood from state land OTHER THAN state forests lands, you need to contact the local administering office for that land (i.e. State Game Area, State Recreation Area, etc.). The state ownership of forest land south of the Muskegon-Bay City line is limited. Thus the opportunities to obtain a permit for firewood in that area are limited. Most of the state forest land in southern Michigan is managed for recreation and wildlife purposes and firewood permits are rarely issued.

To inquire about availability of fuelwood permits at parks and state game areas, contact:

State Parks and Recreation Areas

State Game Area

Federal Forest Land:

For information on the program administered by the U.S. Forest Service on National forest land, contact:

LOWER PENINSULA - Huron-Manistee National Forest - Cadillac 231-775-2421

EASTERN UPPER PENINSULA - Hiawatha National Forest - Escanaba 906-786-4062

WESTERN UPPER PENINSULA - Ottawa National Forest - Ironwood 906-932-1330

*A standard cord is 8 feet long, 4 feet wide and 4 feet high.

Firewood, in non-packaged form, is sold by a measurement called a "cord" or "fraction of a cord." A "cord" is defined as 128 cubic feet when the wood is neatly stacked in a line or row. A standard or full "cord" would be 8 feet long, 4 feet wide and 4 feet high. You may also hear or see the terms 'ric' or 'face cord' or some other local measurement. These terms have no standard measurements, so be careful when purchasing wood from a buyer that uses these terms. Make sure that you know the dimensions of the pile of wood that is being sold. A 'ric' or 'face cord' is often a stack of wood that is 8' long, 4' high, and 16" - 24" wide, depending.

Buy It Where You Burn It!
To make sure invasive insects are not spread on firewood, use firewood from local sources. In other words, buy it where you plan to burn it. For more information, visit Washington State's Buy it Where you Burn it web site or for information specific to the Emerald Ash Borer and moving firewood in Michigan visit the Emerald Ash Borer web site.