USFS Protects Lumber Firms, Workers Say

Five U.S. Forest Service workers are claiming that their timber theft unit was abolished to protect lumber companies from prosecution.

The whistleblowers will make their case this month before a federal administrative law judge at the Merit Systems Protection Board, charging that their 16-member division was disbanded in 1995 after they began investigating alleged Forest Service coverups of corporate timber theft.

They claim that companies were clear-cutting healthy, old-growth trees under the pretext of salvage programs that, in theory, were to thin out diseased or dead timber. The workers further allege that they were prevented from doing their job, ordered to relocate and sometimes harassed.

The Forest Service claims the unit was eliminated because it wasn't the most efficient way to protect trees from theft.

Right now, law enforcement officers attend timber harvest planning meetings and review contracts. Each year a few lumber companies are permanently barred from bidding on contracts because they violated harvest regulations.

"The big theft is occurring, not with a chain saw, but with a pencil," said Jim Keefer, a retired Forest Service employee who served on the task force.

To date, those alleging the cover-up have not offered specific examples of wrongdoing.

The timber theft unit was established by Congress in 1991 to investigate criminal theft of trees by the timber industry and fraudulent underpayments estimated at up to $100 million annually for lawful harvests. It was part of a larger Forest Service effort to stop all types of timber theft in national forests.

The task force was responsible for California, Oregon, Washington and Alaska and had an annual budget of $3.4 million. Each year the task forces brought in nearly that amount in fines from lumber companies.

"The federal government shifted from enforcing environmental laws against massive corporations clearcutting the forests and instead chose to concentrate on people cutting firewood or Christmas trees," said Tom Devine, a lawyer representing one of the workers.

"My biggest business concern is the lack of new independent retail lumber yards. When all that is left are big boxes, wholesalers concerned today about oversupply will be swimming in the big box shark tank, or joining their old customers in early retirement."

- Claudia Cowan, owner, Horizon Forest Products, Richmond, Ca.

Lumber Thieves Lose Loot Valley Lumber Co., Cumberland, Md., has recovered plywood and lumber stolen early April 28 and then abandoned on the side of the road.

The thieves evidently loaded the lumber onto a pickup or flatbed truck, but the majority of the wood slid off the vehicle as they drove off the property.

State police are investigating the crime.

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AMERICAN Institute of Timber Construction welcomed new officers (1) v.p. Craig lqnCott, past president Mike Lane, president Tommy Hewitt, and trbasuier Mikd G.iles during-its^51st annual meeting at the Hilton Waikbloa Village on the Big lsland 9!.tlgwqii (2) Cgro!, Hollis, Clay & Aubra Anthony. (3) Mike, Emha & Nancy Baker. (4) Ed Jones. (5) Genie & Holton Quinn. (6) Douq Hucke, Kerlin Drake. (7j Nancv Jaenicke, Carlton Whittle. (8) Kathy Jones, Scott {Lucy Strandlien, Snannoh Ciled (9)-Sue, Alex, Craig & lan VanCott. (10) Faye & Chestei New. (1 1 ) iiil, Britta, Trygve & Stina Rhude. (12) Gunnar Brinck, Fied Meintz, Mike Ailen.'(13) Louis & Meiiisa Sharp. (14) Bruce Bevard, Gary Burley, Holton Quinn, Steve Tillett, (15) Hiro & Bob $ggggq",lt6) Mgrtha Whittle, Ellie & Bud Filler. (17) Mike & Vicroria Foster. (18) Shirl Sieli, Mike Caldwell, Joe Hucke.

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