They Just took It

[sylvie]

There is a new game in town. Stealing large trees.
A friend from our local arboretum was telling us that there is large tree theft going on. This is a well funded outfit, whoever they are, that's brazenly stealing well formed mature trees.

A nearby community has had several taken.
In one instance someone called, inquiring whether the owner would be interested in selling a 100 year old 75' cherry tree. The owner declined. Two days later there was noise in the woods at 5 am and a witness saw a large cherry tree being carried out of the woods by a double propeller helicopter! The witness assumed that there was permission involved so didn't report it and the thieves were successful.
A tree like that would be worth a fortune in veneer wood, which is why officials believe it and other trees were taken. An expert was consulted and estimated the tree's worth at $100,000, which makes this crime extremely profitable.

What's next?

 

[Tallman]

WOW!!!!!!

 

[TanksHill]

That's awful.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

OMG what will people think of next???

I mean, really, stealing trees?????????

 

[PamsPride]

HOLY CRAP!!

 

[Okiemommy]

Really?? People steal friggin trees?!?!?

 

[me&thegals]

I'm only believing this because of the source (Sylvie), otherwise it is too out of this world to contemplate!

 

[k0xxx]

It figures. It's not happening in my area. I've got a few that I'd pay them to steal.

I have one fairly large tree that was damaged during the ice storm. It's three feet from my house. A local company, the only company that I could get to come and look at it, said that they would charge $600 to remove it, because it is so close to the house. Heck, my deductible is less than that. I'm going to sharpen up my chainsaw. :/

 

[sylvie]

I'm only believing this because of the source (Sylvie), otherwise it is too out of this world to contemplate!

Yes, this does sound like urban legend. The arboretum, one of the largest in the US, is very concerned for it's collections.
The area here is rural and forested. It is adjacent to an interstate which is the main flight pattern for helicopters, in particular Life Flight and corporate, which we have many, and occasional military. The helicopter itself and its noise wouldn't have been unusual for the area.

Our acreage contains mature climax forest but no specimen trees. But like the lakes and oceans, when the big stuff is gone the next size goes.

 

[sylvie]

It figures. It's not happening in my area. I've got a few that I'd pay them to steal.

I have one fairly large tree that was damaged during the ice storm. It's three feet from my house. A local company, the only company that I could get to come and look at it, said that they would charge $600 to remove it, because it is so close to the house. Heck, my deductible is less than that. I'm going to sharpen up my chainsaw. :/

We had a storm damaged tree close to our previous house removed a few years back. They charged $300 to cut it down and another $125 to take it away. It was in a spot that would have caused damage to our house or the neighbors so us cutting it was out of the question. They used a bucket truck.
We didn't have a wood stove then. Should have kept the wood for campfires.