If you heat your home with wood, the state of Michigan is allowing you to collect it in publicly managed forests through this weekend.  Michigan usually charges a $20 fee for a 90-day permit valid from April to the end of December. But through this weekend,  no permit will be required as state residents deal with historically cold weather. Guidelines for  collecting wood are on the state website:  www.Michigan.gov/fuelwood.

The collection of wood can only be done within 200 feet of a state forest road. Live trees cannot be used and wood cannot be collected in state parks.

Census data indicates 3 percent of households in Michigan use wood for heat, compared to 76 percent who use natural gas.