Officials at Patoka Lake are inviting local residents to help remove hazardous trees from high traffic areas of the lake by buying firewood permits.
The permits will be made available starting next Wednesday November 4th. Permits will be available subject to weather and staff time.
Now lake employees will be cutting down trees that are threatening to fall or lose limbs. Their primary focus area will be the modern campground, the fisherman’s campground and the beach area. Lake officials say many of the trees have been damaged by the emerald ash borer while others have finished their natural life cycle and need to be removed due to their location near buildings or in areas that people frequently use.
Residents will be able to cut up and haul away the firewood for $10 a pickup truck load. Again, permits will be required and can be obtained at the property office between 8:00 am – 3:00 pm on weekdays beginning next Wednesday as mentioned. Days, hours and access to specific areas for cutting will be determined by weather conditions and availability of downed hazard trees. You can call the park office at 812-685-2464 for updates.
Purchasers of this firewood must agree to comply with any quarantine requirements for ash they may cut and remove. Under the current EAB quarantine, ash firewood movement is allowed in Orange, Dubois, and Crawford County to all adjoining counties, as all those counties are quarantined and EAB infested.
All funds received from the firewood permits will be designated for resource management efforts in the property.
