FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 24, 2019
Texas A&M Forest Service law enforcement investigators help protect against timber theft
The theft of timber is a serious crime in Texas. Each year, Texas A&M Forest Service investigators receive theft complaints from landowners that total over one million dollars.
Theft of timber is not only costly for victims, it can also destroy generations of careful forest stewardship and cause irreparable environmental damage.
“The majority of timber theft cases begin with a legitimate contract between a landowner and timber harvester, so investigators work many partial-pay cases as well as non-payment cases,” said Texas A&M Forest Service Assistant Chief Law Enforcement Officer Jarred Lemmon. “When this happens, unfortunately the landowner is often left without the proceeds for rehabilitation and reforestation.”
State agency officers work with local law enforcement to investigate complaints and make arrests in cases of timber theft. They also work to provide reparation for timber theft victims. Recent significant Texas A&M Forest Service investigations have resulted in close to $289,000 being recovered and paid back to affected landowners.
Investigators offer a few ways to protect landowners from becoming victims of timber theft:
- Visit your property frequently.
- Have someone you know and trust report any cutting on your land immediately.
- Never sign a contract without checking several references of the buyer.
- For the best price, insist on getting bids for your timber.
- Mark all property lines to assure cutting on adjacent property does not encroach on yours.
- Utilize trail/deer cameras on your property that can record suspicious activity or individuals.
If you are unfamiliar with selling timber, you are urged to contact your local Texas A&M Forest Service office. Our field staff will assist you with securing the assistance of a professional resource manager to help select trees for harvest, estimate values and find potential buyers.
For more information, please visit https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/lawenforcement/reporttimbertheft/
To report suspected timber theft activity, call the Timber Theft Hotline 1-800-364-3470.
Texas A&M Forest Service is a state agency and a Member of the Texas A&M University System. Check out the TAMUS Chancellor’s video about timber theft at https://www.tamus.edu/system-videos/ and read the original TAMUS news release at http://bit.ly/2GF0JmY.
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CONTACTS
Jeremy Wagner, Chief Law Enforcement Officer, 832-494-7144, jwagner@tfs.tamu.edu
Texas A&M Forest Service Communications, 979-458-6606, newsmedia@tfs.tamu.edu