Thieves hacking down majestic trees to support drug habit
SHELTON, Wash. - Thieves in Mason County are hacking down majestic old maple trees and stealing wood from the heart of the trees - and much of the stolen wood is winding up in the hands of unsuspecting music lovers.
The tree poaching has become so rampant that the Sheriff's Office now has a designated deputy who patrols the forest trying to prevent thieves from cutting down trees that have been growing for many decades.
Just like a fine wine, the aged wood from the center of a decades-old maple can be used in the handmaking of a violin.
Ben Barnes, an Olympia violin maker, imports his wood from a reputable dealer in Europe. But often buyers of violins and guitars have no idea they're purchasing stolen merchandise. And the crime scene is deep in the forest.
"Maple is often used for musical instruments - people often call it musicwood," says Mason County sheriff's deputy Jason Sisson.
Sisson says thieves recently hacked down about two dozen majestic trees near Shelton to make a quick buck.
He showed KOMO News the hacked-up remains of the trees.
"This is a perfect example of a section of wood where blocks have been harvested out of it," he says.
What poachers are looking for is old wood with a wavy grain and desirable characteristics from the heart of a maple tree.
"They're only going to cut the best portion of these logs," says Sisson. "They want the best. The rest goes to waste because they can't sell it and that's all they're in for."
Thieves can illegally sell one poached maple for thousands of dollars.
"Oftentimes it's used to support drug habits," says Sisson.
He says he has seen the crime of wood poaching skyrocket - paralleling the rise of rural drug use.
"It's overall become a bigger money-maker for the bad guys and more dangerous for us," Sisson says.
The thieves want the fast cash for a quick hit - but it will take years for local forests to heal.
Sisson says in many cases, tree poaching is considered a felony - and a conviction can lead to jail time.
The tree poaching has become so rampant that the Sheriff's Office now has a designated deputy who patrols the forest trying to prevent thieves from cutting down trees that have been growing for many decades.
Just like a fine wine, the aged wood from the center of a decades-old maple can be used in the handmaking of a violin.
Ben Barnes, an Olympia violin maker, imports his wood from a reputable dealer in Europe. But often buyers of violins and guitars have no idea they're purchasing stolen merchandise. And the crime scene is deep in the forest.
"Maple is often used for musical instruments - people often call it musicwood," says Mason County sheriff's deputy Jason Sisson.
Sisson says thieves recently hacked down about two dozen majestic trees near Shelton to make a quick buck.
He showed KOMO News the hacked-up remains of the trees.
"This is a perfect example of a section of wood where blocks have been harvested out of it," he says.
What poachers are looking for is old wood with a wavy grain and desirable characteristics from the heart of a maple tree.
"They're only going to cut the best portion of these logs," says Sisson. "They want the best. The rest goes to waste because they can't sell it and that's all they're in for."
Thieves can illegally sell one poached maple for thousands of dollars.
"Oftentimes it's used to support drug habits," says Sisson.
He says he has seen the crime of wood poaching skyrocket - paralleling the rise of rural drug use.
"It's overall become a bigger money-maker for the bad guys and more dangerous for us," Sisson says.
The thieves want the fast cash for a quick hit - but it will take years for local forests to heal.
Sisson says in many cases, tree poaching is considered a felony - and a conviction can lead to jail time.
<fantasy>When they find the culprits perhaps they can burn them at the stake and use the left over wood for the fire.</fantasy>
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Who is buying the hot wood? Start looking at all local violin makers.
 @QuandoQuandoQuando A high-strung bunch at best!
The drug prohibition is working just about as good as the future gun prohibition, you simply can't stop them!
 @portlandborn83 It's not just about any drugs - it's about really BAD drugs - Meth, Bath Salts, Oxycontin addiction, etc. Do you seriously want these to be legal?Â
 @portlandborn83 And alcohol prohibition. What happened to the good o'l days when druggies just gave bj's for drugs, and didn't cut down my trees.
well i cut down maples to suport my maple syrup addiction
 @Phuzz I am guessing that was just a joke? You DO know that "cut down maples to suport my maple syrup addiction" is like killing the golden goose?
@Phuzz You don't know how that works do you?
I hope these people cut their own hands off.
Why is the sheriff convinced that crack heads are the ones going the damage. Has he caught anyone? Could it possible be some people down on their luck, trying to feed and house their family.
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If it is not old growth fir, who the heck cares. Sounds like this is deep in a forest that nobody will ever see or miss. Did anybody notice the moss covered fallen tree he had to bend over to get by. People trees die. Especially deciduous trees in a dark mossy forest.
 @Mason Orr You're not very bright, are you, Mason?
 @Mason Orr Trees, people die too. Especially in a populated area.  WTF kinda logic is that?!I get a huge fine and go to jail for timber theft if I go out into the public forest and cut a tree, but, as long as it's a crackhead doing it to fool instrument makers and their customers, gee, who cares.I guess you think that forests only exist for people to "see."
They are going to assign "one" deputy to patrol the forest to prevent this? How many million acres is he patrolling...super-superman to cover all of it at a time. Kind of like having 1 armed officer in a very large school to protect 1000's of students...all they have to do is wait for him to pass by, then continue on with what they intended. How about putting up a BIG reward for information that arrives early enough so the perp's can be caught...before they do their thing. Someone usually knows these people are going to do it before hand...few criminals can keep from bragging about what they are GOING to do.
Are they sure the tree-cutters didn't mistake the trees for really huge pot plants?
Where is Tre Arrow when you need him? He could sit up in a tree and be a lookout for more tree-fellers, if they don't cut down the one he's sitting in.
 @jpk Arrow won't be out there but others will. Not all of those guys are insane, criminal, stupid, etc, and unlike the anti-gun gang they're not just there to oppose the industry. They are quiet and useful, and painfully aware of the damage that hot-heads like Arrow do to a more reasonable cause. (At least in Oregon. I don't know about Treehuggerus Washingtoni)
Sorry, while I see your point, I find it a bit unrealistic to believe that private citizens can have any impact on some of these folks in a forest far from help. What are they gonna do, shout "stop"; then what will happen? Probably will result in another missing person case. A Forest Patrol Deputy is a lot more useful, because no one will ever know they are around. Most county sheriff's offices have them, especially those with vast wooded tracts, paid partially by the timber interests with the rest coming out of grant money, or county budgets.
Seems like the way to go is to corner the shops that make violins and look at their stock and receipts. Hard to get the culprits easier to fine the buyers.
How much wood, can a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck is high on meth?
@disgustedman lol, now that's funny.
When maples get old they have penchant for rotting out at the base of the trunk and soon fall over anyway.
 @oodathunked When people get old their brains have a penchant of rotting out but we don't kill them early for their value.  Also, the rest of us are required to get permits to cut trees. I guess if you're a tweaker, you can do whatever you want.
@Playanekes And of what value is that? Stealing is stealing but these old clunkers are somewhat less than majestic.
@oodathunked Matter of opinion, I guess. Any tree that large IS majestic to me. Of course, what do I know? Untill I moved to Oregon in '72 I did not know what a real tree looked like except in a book. I even like the "worthless" trees the folks planted in the Great Plains when they started moving west. Nothing cooler than travelling across Nebraska; all flat and grassy then all of a sudden a huge Cottonwood making some shade out in the middle of nowhere.
As interesting as I find these types of stories, I can't help but think that by broadcasting this information we only spread and worsen the problem.
 @Scotty9 Perhaps we ought to view it a different way. It's possible that, by drawing attention to the problem, more folks may keep their eyes and ears open and inform the correct authorities when something suspicious is going on in our forests.
 @Jumpin' JehosophatÂ
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I wish there was a way to determine the effects one way or the other. I can't help but think that as soon as we hear about a wave of car vandalism, low and behold up pops new batches in different areas. Tires slashed here windows shot out there.
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We get a theater shooter one week, a mall shooter the next and a school shooter soon after. Copy-cats and criminals looking for new revenue.
The above picture could be Kevin James on the set of his new movie "Forest Cop".
 @xilef regnu that earned an lol.
Nobody witnessed this poaching? These are huge trees. And, it's very disgusting.
DEATH PENALTY!! I DEMAND THE DEATH PENALTY TO CURB THIS CRIME!!!
 @None OK. We'll be happy to comply with your wishes.
When, where, how and by whom do you want to be executed?
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 @None To what purpose? The trees are already dead, now.
 @None Get a grip.
It is too bad that when they fall the trees, they do not fall on the druggies. What a total waste!
 @Just Lookin Correct useage would be ". . . when they *fell* the trees . . . ." Other than that, full agreement!
 @Just Lookin English is so wierd!Â
Felling a tree: the act of cutting a tree down
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A man who is executed on a gallows is said to have been hanged. A deer carcass is *hung* on a hook for seasoning.
At least one thing's certain, they really had to work for the money this time! Probably even worked up a sweat! Probably had to use even more meth than usual! LOL
Wow, I never know of making money that way, hmmm. I have some nasty pine trees out back, are they worth anything.
 @dkgiovenco "Ever eat a Pine Tree? Many parts are edible." -- Euell Gibbons (09.14.1911 â 12.29.1975) Outdoorsman & proponent of natural diets.
I'll pass on that one. Euell Gibbons, 64 years old, you would have thought he would have lived a lot longer.
 @dkgiovenco to the right crack dealer maybe. He might want a new Pine Ak stock.
 @TreeWizard  @dkgiovenco Mahogany is much better for that.
Do mankind a favor........shoot them on sight !
@Rob C 503Â Such talk from a libral lefty!
 @Rob C 503 Now, now - just shoot to wound or you be politically incorrect in case the tree is landing on your house then all bets are off!!
@boned .....good one, boned!
Come on now, shoot to wound? We shoot center mass, unless we are gangstas....they close their eyes and shoot! LOL
It's a race between the drugs destroying them before they destroy everything around them.
 @xilef regnu Too Twue!! I would have traded 'us' for "them" in my cop world, but you nailed it!!!
 @xilef regnu Am go with option 3. We destroy them.