Same here, even as far outside New England as PA. On craigslist, there is often free pine available from folks who advertise it as "suitable for outdoor fires only". It's a great way to score some free pine that's just fine in the woodstove. As some other posters have noted, pine is fine. A few years ago, I dropped two white pines that were too close to the house, and they were great. Only downside is sticky tools after splitting it green. Burns nicely if it's dried enough, just like any other wood. Has less BTU/ft3, so you can't get super long burns out of it, but it's great for shoulder season or in a mix with hardwoods in winter when you're not going for the sleep-late-on-Sunday overnight burns. Dries somewhat faster than denser wood, all other factors being equal, but drying conditions are a bigger factor than wood type. No problem with extra creosote. No problem with overfire, even with a full load, as long as you have a stove/chimney combo that can keep things under control.