SOUTHEASTERN SECURITY GROUP: TECHNICAL WRITING AWARD WINNER

The Forest Resources Association conferred its 2006 Technical Writing Award on its Southeastern Security Alert Advisory Committee at FRA’s June 3 Annual Awards Dinner in Orlando, Florida. The Committee jointly authored the finest technical publication the Association published during 2005.

FRA Chairman Jim Brody (at right) congratulated Committee Chair Aaron Gilland (at left), commenting, “I hope you’ll accept this plaque in recognition of a job well done.”

Gilland indicated the Committee would donate the prize’s cash award to Log A Load For Kids®. He remarked, “as organizations grow more complex, opportunities for theft and fraud increase. I’d like to think that our Security Alerts can help prevent this kind of loss.”

The Committee’s publication, the FRA Security Alert Timber Theft Ring Steals 900 Loads of Timber, details the actions of a major timber theft ring that stole $500,000 worth of timber from several large landowners. The thieves stole from uncruised, “pay as you cut” tracts.

Nine persons were involved, including truck drivers, woods workers, a woodyard operator, and a highly regarded logging contractor. An anonymous tip received by the contracting forest products company led to the arrest and conviction of those involved. The case demonstrated the difficulty in identifying suspicious activity associated with timber theft when controls are weak and multiple layers of collusion are present.

In analyzing this case, FRA’s Southeastern Security Alert Advisory Committee developed several useful recommendations for preventing timber theft, and documented them in the publication.

 

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