Firewood management

Parks Canada has determined that a firewood importation ban is the best option for mitigating the spread of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid and protecting Kejimkujik’s forests.

Parks Canada is a leader in resource conservation and one of our primary interests is to maintain the ecological integrity of this National Park and National Historic Site. Parks Canada is working closely with a task group including the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources, the Canadian Forest Service, and other research and land management organizations.

In August, 2018, HWA was found in Kejimkujik at several locations including Jeremys Bay Campground. The control of firewood importation is an important measure in protecting the forest, reducing further spread and infestation of HWA and limiting the introduction of other invasive insects such as the Emerald Ash Borer recently found in New Brunswick and fire ants already present in Halifax Regional Municipality.

The Friends of Keji Cooperating Association is a non-profit group, and any extra revenue it receives from the sale of firewood goes back to the park to support programs and services, which includes the hiring of local people to work in Kejimkujik.

Parks Canada has made arrangements to dispose of the confiscated firewood with a local contractor within this Canadian Food Inspection Agency-regulated area.

Hemlock trees are not only important to the health of the forests inside the park, but also to the visitor experience. Jeremy’s Bay Campground and the Visitor Centre and adjacent Mill Falls hiking trail are located in hemlock stands, and one of the park’s most popular hiking trails — Hemlocks and Hardwoods — takes visitors through a hemlock stand where some of these magnificent trees are over 300 years old.

Hemlock Wooly Adelgid is an invasive pest regulated by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). For more information, please visit the Canadian Food Inspection Agency website - Hemlock woolly adelgid