ENVIRONMENT: GATHERING OWN FIREWOOD IS 'IN'

JONESBORO, Ill. -- The warmth of a blazing fire holds a special appeal for romantics, outdoor enthusiasts and other Americans who cut their own firewood.

Gathering your own firewood has become fashionable, and with the recent freezing temperatures in the area, outdoorsmen are hauling out their chain saws.

More and more Americans are utilizing fireplaces and wood stoves, creating a big demand for firewood. One of the targets of their search for wood is the Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois, which offers "down and dead" firewood to those wanting wood for their own use.

"A $10 permit will let you gather two cords of firewood," said Carol Dammerman of the forest's district office near Jonesboro, Ill. "Every year, the Shawnee offers firewood-seekers the opportunity to cut downed trees in selected areas."

"This is for everyone," said Monica Ross, of the forest service office at Vienna, Ill. "We're federal, so people from Illinois and Missouri -- or any other state -- are eligible to gather the wood."

In order to cut and collect the firewood, a special permit is necessary.

The permits are available at Shawnee Forest district offices -- Jonesboro, Vienna, Ill., Murphysboro, Ill., Harrisburg, Ill., or Elizabeth, Ill.

You need know how much a cord of wood is, say officials.

Anyone can get wood on public lands for a bargain price of $5 per cord (minimum of two cords, $10). A cord is described as a stack of wood, 4 feet by 4 feet by 8 feet.

The Illinois Department of Natural resources offers a similar self-heating plan on selected state lands. A $10 fee lets you fill your pickup as full as you like. Wood in the state lands is available in a number of areas, including Trail of Tears in Southern Illinois.

This wood has already dried out and is well-seasoned and ready for burning, say officials. Applicants are urged to take wood only for their own use.

"This is not wood for retail sale," said one official. The wood must be cut for the collector's personal use, and collectors must provide their own equipment to cut and haul the wood.

Wood is sometimes available from various areas in Southeast Missouri. "Right now we don't have a site which contains firewood," said a spokesman for the Perryville Forest District. But people can contact district headquarters at (573) 547-4537 from time to time to see if some area has opened up.

For wood in Shawnee National Forest, applicants can call the Jonesboro district office (618) 833-8571. For information on wood in the Trail of Tears Forest of Southern Illinois, call (618) 833-4910.

There is an easy way to determine if wood is green or seasoned. Examine the cut end of a piece of wood that is about 8 inches in diameter. It should show radiating splits that are similar to the spokes on a wheel.