Witness Reward Program
Protecting forests and forest resources
www.arkforests.org
Arson, timber theft, illegal dumping, and logging equipment theft and vandalism are serious threats to the state’s economic and environmental health. These crimes generate annual losses of hundreds of thousands of dollars to landowners and the timber industry. The Arkansas Forestry Association (AFA) is committed to reducing the number of cases through its Witness Reward Program, which provides rewards up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of persons willfully involved in these crimes on AFA members’ property. In addition to traditional local and state law enforcement personnel, state law gives the Arkansas Forestry Commission the authority to appoint employees as certified state law enforcement officers to investigate dumping, wildfires, timber theft, and logging equipment theft and vandalism. Each AFC district office has rangers and foresters who handle misdemeanor dumping and fire cases, and there are three full-time criminal investigators who investigate misdemeanor and felony cases statewide. According to AFC, investigators and law enforcement officials closed the following number of cases in 2011 and 2012, combined: • 169 timber theft cases • 11 equipment theft cases • 121 illegal dumping cases • 306 arson and debris burning cases In the same time period, landowners received $700,000 in restitution related to timber theft. If you have information regarding activities of this kind, call the AFC 24-hour reporting line at (501) 332-2000. An online complaint form is available at forestry.arkansas.gov/contactUs/Pages/ComplaintForm.aspx. Since 1947, AFA has been the only nonprofit association representing the state’s entire forestry community. Its mission is to advocate the sustainable use and sound stewardship of Arkansas’s forests and related resources to benefit the state’s forestry community and all Arkansans, today and in the future. For more information about AFA programs, look online at arkforests.org.