BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – State agencies in Washington looking to protect our forests have important advice for anyone planning camping trips.

The state departments of Natural Resources and Agriculture along with the Washington Invasive Species Council want to remind you that when it comes to firewood; buy it where you burn it.

They said the best way to avoid the spread of invasive insects that jeopardize our forests is to never take firewood with you on trips.

The plea comes after the Emerald Ash Borer – a beetle that devastates tree populations – was found earlier this month for the first time in Vancouver B.C. Experts said the species was able to move west across the continent killing hundreds of millions of trees in part due to moving firewood.

The agencies said the best way to help save our trees will be for campers to buy firewood local to your destination and burn all of it before leaving.