The holiday season is upon us, and that means it’s time to put up your Christmas tree and decorate your house for the season. It also means that pine trees make for easy targets for criminals who hope to cash in on the demand for trees and pine-related decorations.
Anthony Bermel, a conservation officer with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, noticed that an 80-acre patch of woods full of black spruce had recently been hit by a thief who chopped down many trees or lopped off the tops of larger pine trees.
“You kind of have to look close. But as you look around at most of these black spruce trees, a lot of them are stubby, they’re missing tops” Bernel said of the scene. “So these are all fresh cuts. It’s still kind of sticky to the touch.”
Bernel was able to solve the case, arresting Blake Buschman, someone Bernel has caught “over and over and over and over and over the years,” for illegally cutting more than 5,000 spruce tops on the private and adjacent land in St. Louis County. And while Buschman’s tree-cutting days may be numbered, at least for the time being, his actions are just a drop in the bucket of what DNR officers say is the pursuit of “green gold” made possible by the seemingly insatiable demand for holiday decor in Minnesota and across the US.
“There’s a booming, booming legitimate market,” explained Bermel. “And when you have opportunity like that, there’s going to be other people that are doing it not legitimately, that are stealing them.”
When taken correctly, spruce tops can be harvested sustainably, which allows the tree to grow back in about 5-7 years. Many land owners allow companies to bid on the right to remove trees from their property in a sustainable manner, which also helps the other trees continue to flourish because the thinning means there is less competition for resources, like sunlight. However, when thieves harvest trees illegally, land owners can’t ensure the right trees are taken or that they are collected using proper techniques to protect the rest of the harvested tree.
So while we previously noted that police will be conducting extra DUI patrols throughout the holiday season to ensure people stay safe on the roads, it seems like DNR officials may also be adding extra patrols of certain pine-rich forests to prevent against tree theft and damage.
We hope you stay out of the illegal Christmas tree harvesting trade, but if you or someone you know does something this year that lands them on Santa’s naughty list, connect with the team at Appelman Law Firm. We can help you avoid a worst case scenario by building a strong defense and make your case in court. For assistance with theft charges or a similar criminal matter, give Avery and the team at Appelman Law Firm a call today at (952) 224-2277.
