Volunteer group asks Topsham for drivers to keep free firewood totes stocked

Nat Pulser, founder of Mid Coast Woodbank, told the Topsham Select Board during public comment on July 2 that his volunteer group provides free firewood deliveries to households and municipal tote sites and needs volunteer drivers to maintain the town’s emergency supply.

"We delivered 120 cords of free firewood to our nine towns and of that about 30 cords went into totes," Pulser said, asking the town for help finding people who could pick up loads at the woodyard and refill metal totes at municipal locations. He said Mid Coast Woodbank delivers up to two cords per household and supplies two metal totes for municipal distribution; Topsham received about eight cords last year.

Pulser described the logistics: volunteers typically load pickup trucks at the woodyard at 505 River Road on Wednesdays (8 a.m.–noon) and Saturday mornings and bring wood back to town tote sites. He said the group does not have enough drivers to keep the totes full and suggested placing the totes where more people will see and use them.

Town staff and board members discussed likely locations (transfer station vs. town office parking) and outreach steps. The board agreed to include information in the next town notice and to work with Pulser on signage and volunteer recruitment. Pulser said the group also uses a pastoral-screening process (through the First Parish Church) to prioritize bulk deliveries for households with urgent need.

The board did not take formal action on the request but encouraged outreach via the town website and local notices and asked staff to follow up on suggested tote locations and volunteer recruitment.