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WV Timber Theft Following federal felony convictions last fall for the members of a four-man timber theft ring in West Virginia-with sentences as high as 3 years and 10 months-the problem of timber theft in the state is getting increased attention. The November 25 Charleston [West Virginia] Gazette-Mail takes a lengthy look at the nature of the crime of timber theft and the conditions that may be fostering its increase-more absentee landowners, reluctance to mark boundaries clearly, a perception that timber theft is a victimless crime, and thieves' knowledge that prosecution is difficult. The article quotes advice from several authorities on preventing theft: keeping in touch with neighbors, showing clearly that you know your boundaries, and reporting suspicious-looking loads on the highway, such as "a pickup towing a trailer with a single log." (Thefts of individual trees, or just a prime log from a single trunk, are increasingly characteristic today.) A December 10 story in the Charleston Daily Mail suggests that timber theft's rise may reflect rising unemployment. "People need jobs and they get creative," says the West Virginia Division of Forestry's Director. Both articles indicate that the prime target species today has moved from walnut and paulownia to black cherry. Back to "News" Forest Resources Association
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