Wood Banks Can Help Fill a Widespread Need
by Jeanne Siviski
In Maine, the nation’s most heavily forested state, with the second highest per capita use of firewood for heating, it only makes sense to create a firewood resource for the needy. That’s the message of a Bangor Daily News op-ed piece by Dr. Jessica Leahy, associate professor in the School of Forest Resources at the University of Maine, and Sabrina Vivian, a senior in Ecology and Environmental Sciences. “With some of the highest electricity prices in the nation, coupled with grueling winters and economic hardship, low-income and elderly citizens often need additional home heating support when funds and fuel run short,” they write.
Leahy, who is the first vice-president of Maine Woodland Owners, said many elderly woodlot owners may be totally dependent on wood. Firewood banks could also support their ability to “age in place.” Both Leahy and Vivian grew up in households that heated with wood. Inspired by the op-ed, one new wood bank, Waldo County Woodshed, organized over the recent winter, with its record-breaking cold. On the Woodshed’s website, Dawn Caswell said, “The response was amazing. We went from the idea stage to a registered non-profit to receiving our first load of wood in less than three weeks. There’s an obvious need.”
Members of Maine Woodland Owners from the Down East chapter are interested in forming another bank in the Blue Hill area. Several wood banks formed earlier, including Boothbay Woodchucks, Cumberland Wood Bank and Vets Helping Vets. Ultimately, Leahy and Vivian envision a network of wood banks in areas with economic need and widespread wood heat use. Producing wood locally, Leahy said, also reduces the amount of fossil fuel used in transport.
There are two kinds of wood banks – “open access,” like the Waldo County Woodshed, which rely on an honor system to relieve short-term needs, and the “single allotment,” which delivers wood on a longer-term basis and requires more volunteers, and an application. Those thinking of starting a wood bank need to consider how to establish eligibility, maintain supply and storage, address liability concerns, and guard against abuse, Leahy said.
Wood sources vary, from logging businesses to woodland owners who allow someone to gather firewood during a harvest, people in urban settings donating a single tree, or donations by local land trusts. In Vermont, wood banks receive a portion of the timber harvests on state lands from the Forests, Parks and Recreation Department, along with reimbursement for some expenses.
Like any volunteer organization, it’s important to establish a solid base of volunteers. “We find that many of the volunteers are outdoor enthusiasts with chainsaw skills who enjoy spending time with others with similar interests,” Leahy said. Vivian and Leahy have written a how-to manual, “A Community Guide to Starting and Running a Wood Bank.” They’ve also created maps delineating both economic need and firewood use, so that ideal locations for food banks can be determined. The guide and maps can be viewed at www.jessicaleahy.weebly.com/wood-banks.html. For more information, contact Leahy at 581-2834 or e-mail her at jessica.leahy@maine.edu