Section 240.125  Firewood Certificates

a)         Any person failing to comply with this Section is in violation of the Insect Pest and Plant Disease Act [505 ILCS 90] and shall be subject to the applicable penalty provisions of Sections 22 and 22.01 of the Act.

b)         Importation of firewood.

1)         No person shall buy, sell, possess, or import, by any means, untreated firewood into Illinois from any location outside the State.

2)         Firewood certified by a state agency or departmental authority will be allowed entry into Illinois with approved labeling or documentation.

3)         Any person desiring to import firewood into the State of Illinois for resale shall, before importing any firewood into this State, make annual application to the Department for a firewood importer certificate. The certificate application shall be made available by the Department via the Department's web site (www.agr.state.il.us) or by contacting the Department at:  Illinois Department of Agriculture, P.O. Box 19281, Springfield IL 62794-9281. A firewood importer certificate will expire December 31 each year. Firewood imported into Illinois must be free of all devastating insects or plant diseases and shall be subject to inspection at the discretion of the Department.

c)         Intrastate movement of firewood.

1)         No person shall buy, sell, or possess untreated firewood more than 50 miles from the source of the firewood.

2)         Any firewood being transported more than 50 miles from its source of origin must be:

A)        Treated firewood;

B)        In its original packaging; and

C)        Accompanied by a label approved by the Department stating that the firewood has been heat treated to reach and maintain a minimum core temperature of 140°F (60°C) for at least 60 minutes.

3)         The Department-approved label accompanying treated firewood must be displayed on:

A)        The bill of sale or lading;

B)        The purchase receipt or invoice for bulk shipments or sales; or

C)        Any bundle or package.

d)         Firewood will only be considered "treated firewood" when it has been heat treated to reach and maintain a minimum core temperature of 140°F (60°C) for at least 60 minutes at a facility that is certified by the Department.

1)         Heat treatment must be conducted at a facility that has entered into a compliance agreement with the Department and has received written certification from the Department in one of the following manners:

A)        The facility's equipment has been calibrated and verified for accuracy in the presence of the Director or the Director's designee; or

B)        The facility has received an annual inspection from a verified kiln service provider as demonstrated by inspection records of calibration and maintenance.

2)         The certified facility must maintain records for at least 3 years and shall make records available for inspection by the Director or the Director's designee upon request.  Records must document the following information:

A)        The treatment method employed;

B)        The volume of firewood treated:

C)        The duration of the treatment; and

D)        The date of treatment.

(Source:  Amended at 46 Ill. Reg. 17926, effective October 27, 2022)