How can customers know whether wood they buy is “certified as heat-treated by USDA-APHIS or the originating states’ Department of Agricultural”?
Facilities that provide approved treatment are regulated by either the USDA or by the plant regulatory agency (usually the Dept of Agriculture) in the state where the facility is located. They operate under specific legal instruments called Compliance Agreements. Fire wood that such facilities produce will have a stamp on its packaging certifying that the facility generates a product that meets the USDA and/or state standard. Consumers should look for this notice on the packaging. A seal or stamp stating that the firewood is “kiln dried” does not constitute approved certification of heat treatment.
