Men caught cutting wood from Washington bridge to sell on black market, officials say
Two men were caught cutting the cedar base of a wooden bridge in Washington, state officials said.
Officers discovered the men and their equipment in Clearwater area of Jefferson County — west of Seattle — after hunters reported hearing chainsaws, Washington State Department of Natural Resources tweeted on Oct. 28.
The area was behind a locked gate. But officers found the locks broken, the state agency said.
Both men were found cutting chunks from the cedar at the base of a bridge on Oct. 22, the agency said.
The wood would have been sold in the black market “for mill owners to turn them into shake and shingles,” officials said.
Photos show an ax, chainsaw and logs of cut up cedar.
Now the bridge will have to be inspected for safety, the agency said. Engineers have reviewed the structure and blocked it off.
The bridge is on H-3500 Road, a forest road, said Kenny Ocker, spokesperson for the state agency.
“This is incredibly dangerous for our staff who work in the woods, as well as members of the public.” the agency tweeted.
But it isn’t the first time someone has poached a bridge for wood, Ocker said, though still uncommon.
Police often investigate timber poaching involving bigleaf maple trees and for western red cedars, Ocker said.
Both men were arrested and booked into the Jefferson County Jail. Officers are holding their vehicle and equipment as evidence, the agency said.
The Clearwater area — or block — is on the Olympic Peninsula, near Forks, Ocker said.
The state agency asks people to report anything suspicious to the Natural Resources Police at 855-883-8368 or email forestwatch@dnr.wa.gov.
This story was originally published October 28, 2021 at 6:51 PM with the headline "Men caught cutting wood from Washington bridge to sell on black market, officials say."
