The city I live in ran a campaign a number of years ago handing out $1000 vouchers to upgrade inefficient wood stoves. It can be a air quality issue, but the major issue is one of efficiency. Modern wood stoves are very efficient - where a fireplace may run at 15%, some of the new hearthstones exceed 80%. In any case, as someone from New Hampshire, I find it insulting that anyone would frame burning wood as "recreational."