Use local firewood to ward off ash borers

Regarding the Feb. 4 letter by Willard Salemink, who doesn't see the need to label firewood: I assume he wasn't around for the Dutch elm disease a number of years back and also hasn't heard of the emerald ash borer that has killed millions of ash trees in our eastern states and is now found on the northeast edge of Iowa.

This bug can fly only about a half mile on its own but can ride under the bark of your campfire wood as far as you will take it. And if you don't burn it all, the emerald ash borer can get a start in your campground, state park, forest, etc., and we could lose many ash trees like we did during the Dutch elm disease outbreak.

So please buy your firewood locally and burn it locally also. Let's not help the emerald ash borer get started here.

Tom Rosenberger

Cedar Rapids