FRA HONORS SOUTHEASTERN SECURITY GROUP FOR TECHNICAL WRITING

RELEASE: June 6, 2006

CONTACT: Neil Ward (301/838-9385)
nward@forestresources.org

Rockville, MD – 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 congratulated Committee Chair Aaron Gilland, 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.

Single copies of the winning publication are available at no charge from FRA at 301/838-9385. Requests should refer to stock number 05-Q-1.


The Forest Resources Association Inc. is a nonprofit trade association concerned with the safe, efficient, and sustainable harvest of forest products and their transport from woods to mill. FRA represents wood consumers, independent logging contractors, and wood dealers, as well as businesses providing products and services to the forest resource-based industries.

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FRA Chairman Jim Brody congratulates Aaron Gilland (1.4 MB)

Photo caption: “FRA Chairman Jim Brody (right) congratulates Aaron Gilland, Chair of FRA’s Southeastern Security Alert Advisory Committee, which authored the finest technical publication FRA published last year.”

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