Sneaky thieves are cutting down large trees in Tennessee. What’s behind crime spree?
An unusual crime alert was issued this week in Tennessee, involving thefts of something most people ignore: Trees.
Hardwoods are vanishing in the night thanks to thieves who are experts at getting in and out without being noticed, the state’s Department of Agriculture warns.
“We’ve had reports of oak trees, poplar, and some hickory stolen in Middle and East Tennessee,” Agricultural Crime Unit Special Agent LaLonna Kuehn said in a news release.
Tree poaching, as it’s called, is even happening in the region’s national parks.
Last month, the National Park Service reported more than a dozen trees disappearing from Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park in northern Georgia, “including several old-growth oaks.” A park ranger noticed a road where there should be no road and evidence trees were being dragged away. An arrest was made and the suspect took a plea deal, the National Park Service said.
The motive is big money, Tennessee officials said. Timber prices are up — particularly for some species — and that is enticing thieves to take risks in the illegal logging trade.
White oaks are among the trees most prized by poachers, for use in creating barrels to store Tennessee whiskey and Kentucky bourbon, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reported.
“Timber theft can be financially devastating to a landowner,” state forester David Arnold said. “The value of the timber is not the only loss. In most cases, the thieves damage property and negatively impact conservation efforts and wildlife.”
The penalties including fines of “double or triple the current market value of the timber,” the state says.
The state offered a few safeguards against the thefts. Landowners should clearly mark their property, tell neighbors when they will be away for long periods, and alert authorities and fellow property owners if trees are being harvested.
This story was originally published April 14, 2021 at 5:16 PM with the headline "Sneaky thieves are cutting down large trees in Tennessee. What’s behind crime spree?."