Tree Thieves
 

This has been a problem down here in the South. This is the first I have heard about Northern states having an issue with it as well. Devastating. Sad.

Timber Thieves Strike at the Heart of Lands Held Dear

ROYALTON, Vt. — The trees around George and Agnes Spaulding’s 170-year-old farmhouse here are as good as money in the bank, many being old-growth maples that are valuable not only for the quality of their wood but also for the sweet sap that the couple boils into syrup each spring.

Having been born on the farm, Mr. Spaulding, 78, loves the trees the way only someone who grew up with them could. But beyond that, he counts on the syrup sales to supplement the family income, which comes mainly from the twice-a-day milking of three dozen cows.

So when a neighboring farmer crossed onto the Spauldings’ land and chopped down 30 or so of their best trees, the couple was devastated.

“There were a lot of nights spent worrying, and when I’d get up, I’d just see bare stumps,” said Mr. Spaulding, who was awarded about $30,000 for the tree loss in a civil lawsuit against his neighbor last month. “The wood was sold for lumber. And he didn’t leave much very good.”

Across the country, trees are disappearing in cases that are often small in scale but largely unsettling, probably prompted by the rise in timber value and the increase in worldwide demand for American hardwood — particularly from builders in Europe and China. The total value of the American log export market has more than doubled since 2000, industry experts said, and it continues to grow.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/20/us/20timber.html

How in the hell does anyone think they can steal a tree from right under someone's nose and get away with it?

I would be interested to know if the awarded $30k exceeded the profit made on the stolen timber.

We had an elderly couple down here who were saving their trees for their grand kids college. They were long leaf pine, which is a very good slow growth pine in much demand. Most of the pine down here is slash pine or other varieties. The trees lined a number of acers in on their property. When they went away from their rual property to visit family the trees were stolen. When they came home they were gone. They were devastated. There was a big article in the paper about it. No one has ever been caught for the act of stealing the trees.

It's common for people that own valuable trees not to be able to see their whole property. A large hardwood near the road could be gone while you're out getting groceries. If nobody happens to see them, they are away clean. I've had it happen to me.

People are disgusting. That's about all there is to say about that really.

For one thing, everyone should be conserving as many trees as they can. For another, to simply steal from someone else's land is rude beyond all comprehension.

I propose a tree security system: an embedded something which will destroy your chainsaw blade, possibly causing it to snap in two and whip your eyeballs out, or decapitate you. It could be embedded in a camoflaged channel, similar to the ones used to run electrical cords across the floor.

ah, but if you did that, you'd be sued for personal injury by the thief unless you put a warning label on it. true 'nuf

I agree it's disgusting and some people simply have no respect.

However I am intrigued by this statement from Mr Spaulding, "And he didn’t leave much very good.” Random order of words there I think (please note correct use of word random there).

If you saw a sticker on a tree that said "Warning: This tree is protected by an anti-theft device" would you believe it?

tree rustlers should be shot on sight

tree rustlers should go and shag somewhere else!

(confused). Where would you stick it?

I mean . . . sex with trees?

knothole is my fav, after I check for bees, of course!

Don't let this guy hear about this.

i am a new member
 

i am just trying to see if i have this site right, i just registered i am a victim of tree theft also, altho i now have a chain i am getting ready to use, thank you i will be talking to you all tomorrow, just testing my post on the site, thank you cindy