How it Works
The Natural Resources woodlot is open 24/7 and operates on the honor system. Firewood is $40 per cord and is sold in 1/8th cord increments. After loading your firewood, measure the cubic footage to determine how much you owe. Most full-sized truck beds can hold 1/2 of a cord of wood. There's a measuring tape and price sheet in the green collection box near the woodlot entrance. We can only accept payment by check or money order made out to the “US Treasury", which gets deposited in the collection box. All firewood receipts are used to manage the Academy's forestlands.
Safety and Liability
Firewood cutting is inherently dangerous; you are solely responsible for your safety while cutting or loading firewood. The Academy accepts no liability for wood cutting operations. Wood cutters must provide their own chainsaw and personal protective equipment, including chaps, eye and ear protection, leather boots, gloves, long-sleeved shirt, and helmet.
The Academy's Medical Clinic does not have an emergency room - in an emergency dial 911. For any security issues, call Security Forces at 333-2000.
What's Available
The timber in the woodlot comes from forestry operations, construction sites, and trees damaged or killed by insects, road salt, wind, or other environmental factors. Most of the timber is Ponderosa Pine, but some Douglas Fir, White Fir, Blue or Engelmann Spruce, Gambel Oak, Cottonwood, and ornamental hardwoods may occasionally be available.
The woodlot supply is constantly changing and mixing, so you will have to search around for seasoned logs of the desired size. The best firewood has been seasoned for at least one year - look for grayish/lighter colored wood, bark sloughing off, and wood cracking. Seasoned wood will have a lower moisture content and a much lower risk of harboring active bark beetles.
Bark Beetles and Wood Borers
Some of the timber is beetle-killed Ponderosa Pine. The freshly cut wood of live pine trees can attract bark beetles which will breed in it, while the wood of trees killed by beetles may harbor a developing brood. Whenever wood is transported, there is a risk that associated insect and/or disease pathogens are moved as well. This can result in the introduction of new pests or exacerbate existing pest problems. Some bark beetle species become so numerous during periods of drought that they will mass attack and kill healthy trees. Therefore, you should store firewood in a sunny location as far away from your pine trees as possible. You can cover firewood with clear plastic and sealing the edges to the ground to confine the beetles, limiting their ability to infest surrounding trees. In sunlight, the clear plastic creates and traps heat like in a greenhouse, which can kill larvae and beetles in the wood.
Wood borers may also inhabit the timber. Borers are less likely to infest and kill landscape trees, but they can cause some problems. A greater concern is the emergence of borers inside your house if you store firewood indoors.
Some Firewood Science
The wood of different tree species produces varying quantities of heat and ash when burned. Here's a helpful table to compare heat output and burning quality of various trees.
For questions or further information, please contact Joe Murphy at (719) 333-3308 or rudick_murphy@fws.gov