Resources
Are you experiencing a heating emergency or qualify as low-income?
Check to see if a local firewood bank is near you! Similar to how food banks function, firewood banks distribute free firewood to those who need it to heat their homes. Each firewood bank differs on how they decide who qualifies for wood. For more information about firewood banks, visit firewoodbanks.org.
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Notice - Don't move firewood over long distances!
Moving firewood long distances can transport dangerous invasive pests such as the Emerald Ash Borer or the Asian Longhorned Beetle. Do not move firewood more than 50 miles. Its best to buy it or cut it where you burn it. For more info: http://www.dontmovefirewood.org/.
Online Marketplaces and Community Boards
The most obvious source of free firewood are places like Craigslist, Facebook, Nextdoor groups. Lots of people take down trees and offer it to whoever is willing to cart it away. Sometimes its cut to wood stove lengths, usually its green, sometimes it disappears quickly, and it's almost always good to have a pick-up, if you are interested in quantity. A friendly Facebook or Nextdoor post asking about free wood could work faster than you think!
Local Tree Cutting Services
A lesser known, but excellent way to get free firewood is by contacting local tree cutting services in your area and see if they ever have extra wood that they need to offload. This may be rare in northern New England, where wood is valued, but in my area in the mid-Atlantic, tree cutters often have to pay to dispose of their wood and they are more than happy to drop it off in your driveway. You will then need to split it, stack and dry it. Some companies have sign-up forms on their websites because they are actively looking for easy ways to dispose of wood from trees that your neighbor may be cutting, or that come down in a storm.
For more ideas how to get free fuel wood, check out these sites:
National Forest Permits
Most national forests permit the harvesting of trees for firewood (and Christmas trees). However, you must obtain a Forest Service-issued permit first. The first step is to visit or call your local forest district office. To find your closest National Forest, check Find a Forest. The cost is usually between $5-20 per cord, with a cord purchase minimum. You must provide your own chainsaw and have a tractor or truck to transport the wood you cut.
State Forest Firewood Programs
Many states offer firewood collection programs within their state forests. Here are some examples:
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Michigan offers firewood collection permits for $20 for up to 5 cords. Their fuelwood season opens on April 1st.
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Connecticut doesn't have an active firewood program but they do sometimes have wood available that they place near a state forest road. The permit to pick up this wood is $30 a cord with a 2-cord minimum.
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Tennessee state forests offer dedicated areas where residents can collect firewood for heating use for free.
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If you'd like to find out if a state forest office offers a program like these, try Googling "[your state] + state forest firewood permits" or call your state forestry department.