Illegal woodcutters

[smokechase II]

The first photo is of a guy who went with a buddy and they had no saw skills.
They denied any knowledge of a scrench and wanted me to put their chain back on.
Their PPE was back with the scrench, somewhere else.

I thought about just how bad they could get hurt so I let them go.
1) I didn't fix their saw out of the kindness of my heart,
2) No ticket because most of the wood they 'broke' was so bad they were not going to get many BTU's anyway.

We were busy doing a prescribed burn and didn't need the distraction.

(see post #8 below for more complete explanation)

 

[slowp]

Wow. Really good load of wood! Most of our firewood thieves have excellent saw skills and are pretty picky about what they steal.

 

[stihlkicken]

most wood poachers I hear of usually target oak or cedar as it will command a higher price. it looks like in the first pic that they have a tag on their load.maybe trying to be somewhat legit.

 

[Gologit]

What exactly made that an illegal load? Nor permit, no fire extinguisher, etc?

One thing about it...they sure weren't taking anything prime. Or cutting the ends off of deck logs.

 

[slowp]

One thing about it...they sure weren't taking anything prime. Or cutting the ends off of deck logs.

Got a deck that had to be left due to woodcutters cutting the ends off. Not just cutting up a whole log mind you, but cutting most of the deck ends and messing up the lengths so they would have had to bring in a mule train and there wasn't quite enough left for that. Grrrrrrrr. :censored:

 

[rmihalek]

I'm from the east coast, so explain to me: why was it illegal what these guys did?

 

[Gologit]

Got a deck that had to be left due to woodcutters cutting the ends off. Not just cutting up a whole log mind you, but cutting most of the deck ends and messing up the lengths so they would have had to bring in a mule train and there wasn't quite enough left for that. Grrrrrrrr. :censored:

Yup...Three day week-ends are the worst. We have patrolmen but they can't be everywhere at once. They hit a Ponderosa deck last year and totally screwed up the length/scale. Local guys probably since they knew how to get around the locked gates and not be seen.There was no sign that anything had been split... they just cut rounds and took off.

 

[smokechase II]

Sorry

I should have mentioned that they didn't have it tagged.
The tags you see here were put there after I requested them to do that.
I had to have them redo even that attempt as they put them on with duct tape and didn't punch out the dates. (I did have them drop it to only one tag, (1/2 cord), as they didn't really have what could reasonably be considered a cord of actual firewood.)

The wood was not cut properly. Technically the permit requires you to partially cut 'logs' (even just 6 footers) in a manner where they can't be used as posts.

They didn't have ID and the vehicle was 'borrowed'.

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I was in a hurry this morning and blew it. Sorry about the omission of important details.

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Mostly I submitted this for the humor of what we get on the National Forests.

They weren't bad guys and it was clear to me that they were not lying. (Look I work around 100+ innocent inmates each year.)
It's just that lack of chain saw training isn't considered an issue by much of the public.

 

[2dogs]

I don't know how Oregon works but in Collyfornia the registration would be expired.

 

[Gologit]

I should have mentioned that they didn't have it tagged.
The tags you see here were put there after I requested them to do that.
I had to have them redo even that attempt as they put them on with duct tape and didn't punch out the dates. (I did have them drop it to only one tag, (1/2 cord), as they didn't really have what could reasonably be considered a cord of actual firewood.)

The wood was not cut properly. Technically the permit requires you to partially cut 'logs' (even just 6 footers) in a manner where they can't be used as posts.

They didn't have ID and the vehicle was 'borrowed'.

************************

I was in a hurry this morning and blew it. Sorry about the omission of important details.

************************

Mostly I submitted this for the humor of what we get on the National Forests.

They weren't bad guys and it was clear to me that they were not lying. (Look I work around 100+ innocent inmates each year.)
It's just that lack of chain saw training isn't considered an issue by much of the public.

Thanks, Smokechase. Those guys worked hard for that junk wood, too bad they didn't know what they were doing.

 

[smokechase II]

Training

This was from last October.

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I've only turned in 3 brazen illegal woodcutters in 15 years on the District.

Most of the time you run into someone out to lunch, explain the rules and direct them to a good spot, everything's fine.

But you can't train chain saw proficiency.

That is a three day class. Really. That's just to get started.

I was relieved to not be able to 'fix' their chain.

 

[smokechase II]

Time to post more trivia

These folks were poor.

This was from about three-four Decembers ago.

There is no woodcutting in December.

This wood had been cut a few months before and they were just getting around to it. The wood was starting to soften and was of poor quality. I could see why no one else wanted it.

I explained that if they didn't get a call from a Forest Service law enforcement person it was because it was so close to Christmas.

"Would they never do this again?"

*********************

I imagine Cops do this a lot on softer crimes or would like to.

Most of us don't like the current rules on or availablity of firewood.

 

[Zodiac45]

These folks were poor.

This was from about three-four Decembers ago.

There is no woodcutting in December.

This wood had been cut a few months before and they were just getting around to it. The wood was starting to soften and was of poor quality. I could see why no one else wanted it.

I explained that if they didn't get a call from a Forest Service law enforcement person it was because it was so close to Christmas.

"Would they never do this again?"

*********************

I imagine Cops do this a lot on softer crimes or would like to.

Most of us don't like the current rules on or availablity of firewood.

Good Man Smoke. While these bozo's were in the wrong and knew it, they were probably desperate (based on the trash they took) for some heat. As you said, "this time, a Chistmas present, next time, don't let me catch you."

We get a good bit of this too as Golog mentioned, 3 days weekends are the worse. During Hunting season is another problem time. Some of thee guys out hunting always have a saw in the truck too. Can't get a deer? Get some firewood! I had left a hefty skid of maple (too close) near an access road and the last truck of the day couldn't get it on. Following monday it was decimated. They just attacked it from both ends. So much so that "I was forced" to take the rest for myself :greenchainsaw:

 

[slowp]

Most of us don't like the current rules on or availablity of firewood.

This is true. Here on the Wet Side, we also have to follow the Northwest Forest Plan for firewood. This means that in the LSR (let sit and rot) areas, I can't mark much for firewood cutters so it eventually gets taken illegally. Right now I'm chunking up the blowdown I cut and trying to make sure it stays in the road prism so somebody can pick it up for firewood. The rules are too complicated for most folks to understand.

Off topic: Springtime has arrived! I had to give up trying to cut stuff in a road. The road glaciers have been receding and I was trying get the newly exposed blowdown off the road. Nobody goes up on weekdays so I could park in the road. I start cutting. A car arrives. I get pulled off enough so they can squeeze through. They ask the question of Springtime, "Is this the road we drive to get to the volcano?" I have to explain that they can't even drive close enough for a view. I start cutting again. Here comes another car.
Same thing. I give up and go down to a wider spot to clean it up. The cars come down and stop. Both questions this time, are "Is that St. Helens?" They are pointing at Mt. Rainier.

 

[nepmgmt]

i was just wondering im a neb to AS and was wondering smokejumper are you a forest patrol or a cop just wondering

 

[smokechase II]

Not

It’s been 15 years since I jumped.

I'm just an employee, not an Officer by any stretch of the imagination.

I don't issue anything.
"I've only turned in 3 brazen illegal woodcutters in 15 years on the District."

I just run across a lot of folks on a million acre district.
I find something going on that is questionable, I call Dispatch, and they send a Cop.

******************

Sounds great.
Reality is much of the time our few Cops are too busy to come by.

*****************

Here's a good story from that world recently.
Some local dumped an unusually large amount of garbage just SE of Bend,
Got caught because he left a letter from his probation officer in his trash. There was lots of other identification in the trash, but that was the best.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Most of us don't like the current rules on or availablity of firewood.

I'v always wondered how much fuel reduction a crew of supervised volunteer firewood cutters could do. The talk that the scrub is not economically viable to cut leads me to this thought.

 

[slowp]

I'v always wondered how much fuel reduction a crew of supervised volunteer firewood cutters could do. The talk that the scrub is not economically viable to cut leads me to this thought.

Another solution is to have moving campgrounds. Ever seen an excess of fuel in a campground? Or nearby? Like everything else, it would take too much analysis to do--years. Excuse me, I am cynical.

 

[rmihalek]

Thanks for the clarification Smokechase II.

So, is the general idea with firewood cutting in Washington that residents can purchase a permit for a certain amount of wood then go to areas that have been logged and take the left over stuff (tops, limbs, slash,etc)?

Is it up to the loggers to mark the areas that the firewooders can cut in?

 

[slowp]

Thanks for the clarification Smokechase II.

So, is the general idea with firewood cutting in Washington that residents can purchase a permit for a certain amount of wood then go to areas that have been logged and take the left over stuff (tops, limbs, slash,etc)?

Is it up to the loggers to mark the areas that the firewooders can cut in?

I can only answer for my immediate area. I'm on a National forest which has to abide by the Northwest Forest Plan (Spotted Owl inspired). The east side would be different, and state and private lands different so you have to know where you are cutting.

First, you need to buy a firewood permit. It comes to $5 a cord with a 10 cord limit. You are issued numbered tags with dates to punch or black out.
These need to be attached to each half cord or load. Then you black out the date you are cutting it on. Every month we put out a new listing of roads. We allow cutting ditchline to ditchline on most roads, and some we allow cutters to go 100 feet off of. Otherwise, you need to call us and we will go out and mark the wood with secret ingredient yellow paint. I'll mark trees without requests if I see them too. Cutting firewood on timber sales (logging areas) is verboten. The timber sale purchaser has liability for things and we don't want firewood cutters causing problems, like starting fires on the sales. The loggers aren't even allowed to take firewood home. After logging and cleanup work is complete, we'll open up the areas but around here it is so steep, that about all there is to cut are slash piles. Some of the kinder loggers will separate some of the cull logs out of the piles for firewood cutters. We are also contractually required to close all temporary (spur) roads on timber sales so that cuts off access too. Sometimes the firewood program has money to reopen the roads, but that is not usual.

You are not supposed to sell this wood. If you want to sell firewood, you need to get a commercial permit. We do put up some firewood sales each year. Confused yet?:greenchainsaw:

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention fire season. You have to follow the fire season precaution class requirements when fire season kicks in..June or July and you need to have a spark arrestor on your saw along with shovel and extingusher. There's probably more I'm forgetting...

Now is a good time to be cutting firewood. As the snow recedes, blowdown on roads becomes accessible. There are no fire season restrictions, and your wood has time to dry a bit. That's all I can think of for now.