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Tree Thieves: Crime and Survival in North America's Woods
A gripping account of the billion-dollar timber black market -- and how it intersects with environmentalism, class, and culture.
In Tree Thieves, Lyndsie Bourgon takes us deep into the underbelly of the illegal timber market. As she traces three timber poaching cases, she introduces us to tree poachers, law enforcement, forensic wood specialists, the enigmatic residents of former logging communities, environmental activists, international timber cartels, and indigenous communities along the way.
Old-growth trees are invaluable and irreplaceable for both humans and wildlife, and are the oldest living things on earth. But the morality of tree poaching is not as simple as we might think: stealing trees is a form of deeply rooted protest, and a side effect of environmental preservation and protection that doesn’t include communities that have been uprooted or marginalized when park boundaries are drawn. As Bourgon discovers, failing to include working class and rural communities in the preservation of these awe-inducing ecosystems can lead to catastrophic results.
Featuring excellent investigative reporting, fascinating characters, logging history, political analysis, and cutting-edge tree science, Tree Thieves takes readers on a thrilling journey into the intrigue, crime, and incredible complexity sheltered under the forest canopy.
In Tree Thieves, Lyndsie Bourgon takes us deep into the underbelly of the illegal timber market. As she traces three timber poaching cases, she introduces us to tree poachers, law enforcement, forensic wood specialists, the enigmatic residents of former logging communities, environmental activists, international timber cartels, and indigenous communities along the way.
Old-growth trees are invaluable and irreplaceable for both humans and wildlife, and are the oldest living things on earth. But the morality of tree poaching is not as simple as we might think: stealing trees is a form of deeply rooted protest, and a side effect of environmental preservation and protection that doesn’t include communities that have been uprooted or marginalized when park boundaries are drawn. As Bourgon discovers, failing to include working class and rural communities in the preservation of these awe-inducing ecosystems can lead to catastrophic results.
Featuring excellent investigative reporting, fascinating characters, logging history, political analysis, and cutting-edge tree science, Tree Thieves takes readers on a thrilling journey into the intrigue, crime, and incredible complexity sheltered under the forest canopy.
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First published June 21, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 198 reviews
May 13, 2022
Tree Thieves centers around the poaching of old growth redwoods in the Pacific Northwest. Lyndsey Bourgon gives a well balanced view not only highlighting the importance of these trees to the environment and our atmosphere but also spotlighting the cultural and economical implications inherent in protecting them. Through the deep dive into the redwood story as well as maples in the music industry and indigenous peoples leading conservation efforts in the Amazon, she shows that the preservation of our forests must begin with community. This is a solid follow up read to those who enjoyed The Overstory or Janesville.
Review copy provided via Net Galley
Review copy provided via Net Galley
July 27, 2024
Several years ago, while laying out the plot for a novel set on the Olympic Peninsula in western Washington state, I hit upon the crime of tree poaching. It became a significant subplot in the novel, which is centered on the disappearance of a home healthcare worker. The research I did into tree poaching in the Pacific Northwest led me down some dark and shadowed corridors of economically depressed communities, drug addiction, and the destruction of the beautiful forests that surround this region where I'm fortunate to live.
I completed my novel before I read Tree Thieves, but should it be picked up for publication (it's currently on submission), I will be referring to this excellent narrative investigation to fact-check my own work in final revisions.
Lyndsie Bourgon's book centers on Orick, a small town in Humboldt County and gateway to the Redwood National Park. Once a thriving logging town, Orick fell into economic disrepair when the timber industry was largely dismantled to preserve the priceless forest in the 60s and 70s. Bourgon follows the misfortunes of a couple of locals whose families, generations of which made their living from the redwoods' bounty, gradually fall into the trap of unemployment, despair, drug use, and crime. She paints a complete picture—telling the story of an environmental movement with consequences both intended—the preservation of ancient forests and habitats, and unintended—the decimation of a way of life. These consequences echo up and down the West Coast, from Bourgon's native Vancouver Island through the Olympic and Cascade forests down to California's many nature preserves. The stories here are familiar to those us who grew up in the shadow of the Timber Wars, the Spotted Owl chaos, who lived in mill and timber communities that went from thriving to depressed in the space of a generation. And yet, even as we understand the root causes for the crime, the destruction of these beautiful trees that are habitat and life-force is gut-wrenching and infuriating.
A fascinating account of a shadow economy that reads like a true-crime mystery. Ms. Bourgon is a talented investigative reporter and writer.
I completed my novel before I read Tree Thieves, but should it be picked up for publication (it's currently on submission), I will be referring to this excellent narrative investigation to fact-check my own work in final revisions.
Lyndsie Bourgon's book centers on Orick, a small town in Humboldt County and gateway to the Redwood National Park. Once a thriving logging town, Orick fell into economic disrepair when the timber industry was largely dismantled to preserve the priceless forest in the 60s and 70s. Bourgon follows the misfortunes of a couple of locals whose families, generations of which made their living from the redwoods' bounty, gradually fall into the trap of unemployment, despair, drug use, and crime. She paints a complete picture—telling the story of an environmental movement with consequences both intended—the preservation of ancient forests and habitats, and unintended—the decimation of a way of life. These consequences echo up and down the West Coast, from Bourgon's native Vancouver Island through the Olympic and Cascade forests down to California's many nature preserves. The stories here are familiar to those us who grew up in the shadow of the Timber Wars, the Spotted Owl chaos, who lived in mill and timber communities that went from thriving to depressed in the space of a generation. And yet, even as we understand the root causes for the crime, the destruction of these beautiful trees that are habitat and life-force is gut-wrenching and infuriating.
A fascinating account of a shadow economy that reads like a true-crime mystery. Ms. Bourgon is a talented investigative reporter and writer.
July 7, 2022
It’s good. But honestly this should have been an article in The New Yorker.
Cut the fluff, say what ya mean. Very interesting and overall well done, but I feel like it would hold more weight in a different light.
Cut the fluff, say what ya mean. Very interesting and overall well done, but I feel like it would hold more weight in a different light.
August 22, 2022
A nuanced and detailed account of tree poaching the Pacific Northwest, as well as around the world. This book does a great job of explaining the rippling effects of tree poaching as well showing the many different viewpoints to take into account. It's more than just one tree to both sides.
It is well written narrative style that is engaging, but doesn't over-inflate for effect. The people spotlighted are treated with respect as well as stand a examples for larger narratives in the conversation on tree poaching and conservation. The author does a great job of understanding their own biases and the book doesn't push for any agenda instead letting you contemplate the consequences and viewpoints to come to your own conclusion.
eARC from Netgalley
It is well written narrative style that is engaging, but doesn't over-inflate for effect. The people spotlighted are treated with respect as well as stand a examples for larger narratives in the conversation on tree poaching and conservation. The author does a great job of understanding their own biases and the book doesn't push for any agenda instead letting you contemplate the consequences and viewpoints to come to your own conclusion.
eARC from Netgalley
May 10, 2022
A story about a lesser known crime - the theft/poaching of wood across the United States. Bourgon talks about the history of tree poaching and forensics of tree poaching. I really liked the history of poaching here, but found other sections less compelling. Still an interesting concept though.
I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 20, 2022
My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Little, Brown and Company for an advanced copy of this book on power, crime, money and lumber.
The problem with being a careful steward of the environment and stripping nature down to the last bit of profit that can be made with even saw dust, is of course money. Lumber is big business. Old- growth trees can be used to make musical instruments, line the dashboard of luxury cars, make one of kind tables and more. Conservation costs money too. To protect or make havens for trees cost money, and with that money comes privilege and the attitude that money brings with it. Add to this that generations of people who had worked in lumber, suddenly find themselves without a job, future, or a say in their own communities, maybe breaking a law, that really isn't that big a law, doesn't seem so bad. Mother Nature's got a lot of tree children, she won't miss a few. Until it's much more than a few. In Tree Thieves: Crime and Survival in North America's Woods, writer, oral historian and 2018 National Geographic Explorer examines the timber black market, the reasons why it exists, why people do it, and how law enforcement is reacting with both scientific and old-fashioned policing methods.
The book begins with a history of the timber industry with a focus on the Pacific Northwest and Canada. Many flooded the area as the profits were good, jobs were plentiful and living out of doors and far from others was quite an enticement. As the industry grew, the environment began to suffer, with flooding and other destruction starting to be noticed. Then came the conservation movement, with a background in eugenics that I had no idea, but after reading makes a whole lot of sense. Soon areas became government land, and parks, jobs were drying up and entire areas were beginning to lose what they had. The war of the tree huggers and the tree murderers was one of both class and money, a rift that continues to this day. And as jobs, dried up, drugs became a factor, all those trees, no matter on whose property it was on was too much of a temptation. In addition there is also a chapter on the global timber black market, which is of interest. As are the sections on enforcement, dealing with how the government makes cases, enforces laws, and the science used to determine and identify lumber.
The book is a lot more than trees. There is a lot of science, study, thoughts on the conservation movement, life in the Pacific Northwest, and much more. The writing is very good with a lot of different voices telling their stories from both sides of the timber- line. The research and just interviewing is quite extensive, and the author must have worn through a lot of boots putting this book together. The feelings of everyone involved is quite apparant, and shows a lot of care. The writing is very good, with everything including the science explained well, with never a lull in the narrative, and leaves the reader with a lot of things to think about at the end.
Much more than a crime novel, more a cultural study of an area that is changing for the better or worse, it is hard to determine. Recommended for readers of Mary Roach's Fuzz, Susan Orlean's Orchid Thief, the Falcon Thief by Joshua Hammer. Also one of the scientists mentioned in the book is Ken Goddard who wrote some very good thrillers involving Fish and Game Detectives, which are also quite good.
The problem with being a careful steward of the environment and stripping nature down to the last bit of profit that can be made with even saw dust, is of course money. Lumber is big business. Old- growth trees can be used to make musical instruments, line the dashboard of luxury cars, make one of kind tables and more. Conservation costs money too. To protect or make havens for trees cost money, and with that money comes privilege and the attitude that money brings with it. Add to this that generations of people who had worked in lumber, suddenly find themselves without a job, future, or a say in their own communities, maybe breaking a law, that really isn't that big a law, doesn't seem so bad. Mother Nature's got a lot of tree children, she won't miss a few. Until it's much more than a few. In Tree Thieves: Crime and Survival in North America's Woods, writer, oral historian and 2018 National Geographic Explorer examines the timber black market, the reasons why it exists, why people do it, and how law enforcement is reacting with both scientific and old-fashioned policing methods.
The book begins with a history of the timber industry with a focus on the Pacific Northwest and Canada. Many flooded the area as the profits were good, jobs were plentiful and living out of doors and far from others was quite an enticement. As the industry grew, the environment began to suffer, with flooding and other destruction starting to be noticed. Then came the conservation movement, with a background in eugenics that I had no idea, but after reading makes a whole lot of sense. Soon areas became government land, and parks, jobs were drying up and entire areas were beginning to lose what they had. The war of the tree huggers and the tree murderers was one of both class and money, a rift that continues to this day. And as jobs, dried up, drugs became a factor, all those trees, no matter on whose property it was on was too much of a temptation. In addition there is also a chapter on the global timber black market, which is of interest. As are the sections on enforcement, dealing with how the government makes cases, enforces laws, and the science used to determine and identify lumber.
The book is a lot more than trees. There is a lot of science, study, thoughts on the conservation movement, life in the Pacific Northwest, and much more. The writing is very good with a lot of different voices telling their stories from both sides of the timber- line. The research and just interviewing is quite extensive, and the author must have worn through a lot of boots putting this book together. The feelings of everyone involved is quite apparant, and shows a lot of care. The writing is very good, with everything including the science explained well, with never a lull in the narrative, and leaves the reader with a lot of things to think about at the end.
Much more than a crime novel, more a cultural study of an area that is changing for the better or worse, it is hard to determine. Recommended for readers of Mary Roach's Fuzz, Susan Orlean's Orchid Thief, the Falcon Thief by Joshua Hammer. Also one of the scientists mentioned in the book is Ken Goddard who wrote some very good thrillers involving Fish and Game Detectives, which are also quite good.
February 13, 2024
Spending time in the presence of an old tree always makes me wonder just what they have ‘seen’. Not literally of course, but their timelessness means that they are around much longer than us. Whilst I want to see them survive so other generations can enjoy them, there are people out there who see them purely as a resource that will give them an income.
That is essential in our modern society, but when these trees and forests have significance for lots of people in their locale, finding out that someone has cut down trees from protected areas is quite shocking. Just look at the reaction to the sycamore being felled recently.
There is a thriving black market in wood. Trees from protected forests are regularly cut down and sold on to those that aren’t going to be asking too many questions as to where the timber came from. In this book, Lyndsie Bourgon parts the understorey and brambles to show us just how endemic it is.
She concentrates mostly on the forests in North America and highlights specific cases where they have managed to get prosecutions of the individuals involved. But it is a global problem, and the later part of the book explores some of the industrial logging that takes place, often at the hands of criminal gangs who are reliant on those that turn a blind eye, having been bribed.
It isn’t just theft, the wider problem of this illegal logging is that the carbon that these ancient trees were storing has been released into the atmosphere again. Even the process of removing the finely patterned burls from big trees can damage them. You may not think that it is much of a crime to steal some wood from a tree, but this crime is part of a wider problem that we humans have had with the world’s resources and that when they are gone, that is it, no more.
It does make me wonder just how certified FSC wood actually is. If they can trace illegal wood into Ikea and other stores then it probably means that the entire system is flawed and cannot be completely trusted. If you want to read a true crime book that does not have dead bodies littering the prose then I can recommend this.
That is essential in our modern society, but when these trees and forests have significance for lots of people in their locale, finding out that someone has cut down trees from protected areas is quite shocking. Just look at the reaction to the sycamore being felled recently.
There is a thriving black market in wood. Trees from protected forests are regularly cut down and sold on to those that aren’t going to be asking too many questions as to where the timber came from. In this book, Lyndsie Bourgon parts the understorey and brambles to show us just how endemic it is.
She concentrates mostly on the forests in North America and highlights specific cases where they have managed to get prosecutions of the individuals involved. But it is a global problem, and the later part of the book explores some of the industrial logging that takes place, often at the hands of criminal gangs who are reliant on those that turn a blind eye, having been bribed.
It isn’t just theft, the wider problem of this illegal logging is that the carbon that these ancient trees were storing has been released into the atmosphere again. Even the process of removing the finely patterned burls from big trees can damage them. You may not think that it is much of a crime to steal some wood from a tree, but this crime is part of a wider problem that we humans have had with the world’s resources and that when they are gone, that is it, no more.
It does make me wonder just how certified FSC wood actually is. If they can trace illegal wood into Ikea and other stores then it probably means that the entire system is flawed and cannot be completely trusted. If you want to read a true crime book that does not have dead bodies littering the prose then I can recommend this.
December 1, 2022
An interesting look at the history and problems surrounding the practice of poaching wood, mostly focused around the theft of redwood trees (or pieces thereof) in the Pacific Northwest. I wouldn't say that this book lived up to the "riveting" promise in the blurb, but it was all right. I was never invested in any particular part of the story, and could have walked away at any time, however I did learn a lot about this topic that I'd never known before. There were some stories of specific poachers and rangers that were picked up here and there throughout the story, but I couldn't keep track of them. I'd say that overall this was a solid 3 star book. Not great, but not bad either.
April 19, 2022
I had the pleasure of blurbing this book: "Tracking thieves, poachers, and capitalists, Lyndsie Bourgon masterfully takes on the role of detective shining a light on the complex and camouflaged world of the timber black market. The result is a meticulous investigation and a powerful testimony to the trees silently taken and the consequences of their fall that reverberate well beyond the forest."
November 8, 2022
Full disclosure: Lyndsie Bourgon is a good friend, and I was privileged enough to chat with her about this book right from the very beginning.
Tree poaching is a big deal, all over the world. The two by fours in your walls, or the beautiful maple face of your guitar might have come from wood that was obtained illegally. In this book, Bourgon dives into the poaching that goes in on some of America's most majestic forests - the redwoods. Bourgon chronicles the history of European encountering and exploiting the redwoods, their subsequent protection, and the consequences of that protection on the communities that owed their existence to the logging industry.
Bourgon digs into the ecology of the forests, the host of benefits they provide and what we have to lose by cutting them down. She also shows us what the people who live in these forests have already lost as jobs disappeared and drugs arrived. Following poachers and law enforcement, Bourgon shows the difficulty of policing an entire forest, and the circumstances that drive people to violate conservation laws. She also rounds out the story with examinations of poaching on Canada's west coast and in the rainforests of Peru.
I might be biased, but I think this is a truly excellent read. If you're interested in trees, or you liked books like The Overstory by Richard Powers or Greenwood by Michael Christie, I think you'll find this really interesting.
Tree poaching is a big deal, all over the world. The two by fours in your walls, or the beautiful maple face of your guitar might have come from wood that was obtained illegally. In this book, Bourgon dives into the poaching that goes in on some of America's most majestic forests - the redwoods. Bourgon chronicles the history of European encountering and exploiting the redwoods, their subsequent protection, and the consequences of that protection on the communities that owed their existence to the logging industry.
Bourgon digs into the ecology of the forests, the host of benefits they provide and what we have to lose by cutting them down. She also shows us what the people who live in these forests have already lost as jobs disappeared and drugs arrived. Following poachers and law enforcement, Bourgon shows the difficulty of policing an entire forest, and the circumstances that drive people to violate conservation laws. She also rounds out the story with examinations of poaching on Canada's west coast and in the rainforests of Peru.
I might be biased, but I think this is a truly excellent read. If you're interested in trees, or you liked books like The Overstory by Richard Powers or Greenwood by Michael Christie, I think you'll find this really interesting.
January 15, 2025
Powerfully written story approaching the illegal timber trade from a holistic view intrinsically linking the human connection to nature and the socioeconomic factors that drive someone to poach timber. Extremely thorough research with heartbreaking facts regarding the forests condition today and how deep the timber trade is interconnected between rural communities and large corporations. A must read.
January 1, 2024
I remember Sarah reading this last year (shout-out sarah) and I finally got around to reading it just in time to hit my reading goal for 2023!
I liked that it was an unbiased look at the logging issues in PNW and beyond. It made me reflect on my own deference to conservation and what that really means for the people impacted by these decisions.
I liked that it was an unbiased look at the logging issues in PNW and beyond. It made me reflect on my own deference to conservation and what that really means for the people impacted by these decisions.
May 27, 2024
3.5 rounded up. Content gets a bit dry but overall it's very readable. It's depressing at times to be reminded how were still going downhill, but I enjoyed how balanced it was and was sure to blame capitalism rather than the actual tree poachers.
August 7, 2024
This book might not be for everyone, but it is certainly tailored to me. Well researched and contextualized by some of the social repercussions of conservation defined by solely criminalizing historic livelihoods instead of alternative job creation. Borrowed it from the library but will probably end up buying it so I can lend it out and return to it!
November 28, 2024
Interesting look at tree theft and tension between workers and environmentalists in NorCal. Focused and considered. A little more sympathetic to the workers and a little less sympathetic to environmentalists but I appreciate a point of view
August 3, 2024
** 2.5/5
December 15, 2022
Interesting reading about the Timber Wars of the Pacific Northwest, from the points of view of the tree poachers and those trying to protect flora and fauna.
June 16, 2022
Thank you to Greystone books for sending me a final copy ahead of this book’s release on Tuesday! 💫
Really interesting book about a topic I knew nothing about - tree poaching. Bourgon approaches the practice with nuance, noting how depressed economic conditions lead to poaching. I wish there had been more engagement with the effect of both poaching & anti-poaching law enforcement on Indigenous communities. Also a more critical approach to policing as a potential solution to this problem - this is skirted around but I felt that these sections lacked some depth. Overall, a balanced and reflective book.
Really interesting book about a topic I knew nothing about - tree poaching. Bourgon approaches the practice with nuance, noting how depressed economic conditions lead to poaching. I wish there had been more engagement with the effect of both poaching & anti-poaching law enforcement on Indigenous communities. Also a more critical approach to policing as a potential solution to this problem - this is skirted around but I felt that these sections lacked some depth. Overall, a balanced and reflective book.
July 20, 2022
I learned a lot about not just timber theft and the impact it has environmentally and socioeconomically overall, but also with a specific focus on the PNW. I learned a lot about environmental law, history, ecology, conservation, even where the term “forest” comes from. The main messages in this book are incredibly important to our environment and it was really interesting to me to learn more about the areas and specifically trees in which I actually live(d). Otherwise, the timber black market and environmental struggle would have went on around me with my ignorant bliss. I will definitely appreciate trees a lot more now!
Thank you to NetGalley, LBC, and the author for an advance e-galley in exchange for an honest review!
-@tirwinreads
Thank you to NetGalley, LBC, and the author for an advance e-galley in exchange for an honest review!
-@tirwinreads
July 6, 2022
I was really intrigued by the premise of this book, especially because I grew up I. The PNW during the timber wars. I was a kid in Washington state and remember spotted owls being nailed to signs and people chaining themselves to logging equipment. I found parts of this story fascinating, from the driving forces behind timber poaching to how it’s done, but in the end this book ended up being too scattered to leave a lasting impact. The bulk of the book focuses around a single logging town in Northern California, dealing primarily with a group of poachers and their frequently tragic stories. They’re written just this side of sympathetic, and frequently there are mentions of the cat and mouse played with law enforcement/ the park service, but the trees themselves never really have a voice. Conservationist are mentioned a few times, mostly as loony outsiders seen from the perspective of locals, but I felt that perspective was badly needed. The whys and wherefores of the changing timber industry are not examined. There is no counter narrative to that of the poachers. Which somehow doesn’t make the reader empathize with them more.
There’s also a weird slide into Peru’s timber poaching, which is much more glossed over and mostly seems to exist so that the author could take a research trip to South America. The local poachers aren’t presented in the same complexity as those from America.
There’s a too short grasp at a “solution” (Community Forests) without it being examined closely for pros and cons, and then the book is just over.
I felt like I learned some things (mostly about how often certain parts of trees are poached) but in a milieu that never coalesced into being a story about poachers, or a town, or a decade industry, or about the balance of forest vs man. This book needs a lot more to really drive home it’s point … whatever that point is. I unfortunately can’t really recommend it.
It did make me homesick.
There’s also a weird slide into Peru’s timber poaching, which is much more glossed over and mostly seems to exist so that the author could take a research trip to South America. The local poachers aren’t presented in the same complexity as those from America.
There’s a too short grasp at a “solution” (Community Forests) without it being examined closely for pros and cons, and then the book is just over.
I felt like I learned some things (mostly about how often certain parts of trees are poached) but in a milieu that never coalesced into being a story about poachers, or a town, or a decade industry, or about the balance of forest vs man. This book needs a lot more to really drive home it’s point … whatever that point is. I unfortunately can’t really recommend it.
It did make me homesick.
April 20, 2022
I won a free copy of this book from GoodReads and was intrigued by the premise of the book as I knew nothing about supposed tree thieves. Upon reading this book, my eyes were opened to the illegal lumber trade and it makes me sad for us/the earth. This book is filled with lots of interesting facts and stories on both sides of the debate. Being from Appalachia, parts of it reminded me of the area's response to losing coal mining jobs and subsequent drug problem. I hadn't realized that that area had so much in common with the pacific northwest in that regard. The author did a great job of using facts and personal stories to tell a complicated tale.
May 3, 2022
This was a very fascinating look into tree poaching. Surprisingly, I felt empathy for the poachers highlighted in this book. I never realized the tolls environmental conservation measures took on locals, and how an entire way of life was destroyed. This book gave an important context that is so often, it seems, ignored.
Though very interesting, I did find this book a bit hard to follow. So many personal stories were woven together, and so many people were talked about, left, and then revisited, that I had a hard time keeping track. For me, the book as a whole didn't flow well, and it was hard for me to really "get into", which definitely impacted how enjoyable it was for me to read.
Though very interesting, I did find this book a bit hard to follow. So many personal stories were woven together, and so many people were talked about, left, and then revisited, that I had a hard time keeping track. For me, the book as a whole didn't flow well, and it was hard for me to really "get into", which definitely impacted how enjoyable it was for me to read.
April 10, 2023
A more than solid debut book about tree poachers. The coverage spans the Pacific Northwest and brief coverage of the illegal de-forestation in the Amazon.
I read a lot of environmental books. This was recently published and has a lot of up-to-date info on how the Park Service and Forest Service are combatting the threats.
4 stars. Very informative.
I read a lot of environmental books. This was recently published and has a lot of up-to-date info on how the Park Service and Forest Service are combatting the threats.
4 stars. Very informative.
February 5, 2023
Not necessarily a cohesive story, but rather a jumbled collection of musings from a very tiny sample group. Contains extensive explanations of the roots of poverty and social failures that are obviously to everyone. At one point the book erratically jumps from Northern California to Peru.
July 12, 2024
Tree Thieves is a very informative book about the illegal poaching of the worlds forests, especially old growth forests that serve to help us slow down climate change. However, Bourgon doesn’t demonize these individuals, but rather points to the fact that many of those poaching our forests are living in towns that were significantly impacted economically by their forests becoming protected land; effectively killing the livelihood of most people in the town that came from generations of loggers. Further, these people were subjected to increased policing in their communities rooted in distrust and the criminalization of the people there. Bourgon points to the increased drug misuse amongst these communities as well, noting that this drug misuse comes from deeply rooted issues for individuals struggling with addiction rather than going with the rhetoric that addiction is a choice. Overall, I highly recommend this book if you’re looking to learn something interesting.
July 20, 2024
Quote and Quick Review:
"Separating nature from human use has never kept it safe. 'The Charter of the Forest' reckoned with this knowledge; addressing issues that remained relevant hundreds of years later...
The broken promises to the rural community - that's what makes people lose hope. Ultimately protecting trees is a question of belonging: Where are you from? What do you understand of these woods?"
This was a fascinating topic. It forces you to reconcile how we've almost always seen conversationalists as "the good guys". When, in fact, conservation without intersectionality is still exploitative, just from the opposite angle.
Even though I think the meat of it could've been condensed into a shorter essay format, it's still certainly worth your time.
SCORES
Plot (Storyline or Research and Data Accuracy)
10/10
Development (Character or Data Presentation)
6/10
Technique (Prose/Style or Data Analysis)
7/10
Theme (Importance, Relevance, Impact)
10/10
Vibes (Originality or Readability)
8/10
"Separating nature from human use has never kept it safe. 'The Charter of the Forest' reckoned with this knowledge; addressing issues that remained relevant hundreds of years later...
The broken promises to the rural community - that's what makes people lose hope. Ultimately protecting trees is a question of belonging: Where are you from? What do you understand of these woods?"
This was a fascinating topic. It forces you to reconcile how we've almost always seen conversationalists as "the good guys". When, in fact, conservation without intersectionality is still exploitative, just from the opposite angle.
Even though I think the meat of it could've been condensed into a shorter essay format, it's still certainly worth your time.
SCORES
Plot (Storyline or Research and Data Accuracy)
10/10
Development (Character or Data Presentation)
6/10
Technique (Prose/Style or Data Analysis)
7/10
Theme (Importance, Relevance, Impact)
10/10
Vibes (Originality or Readability)
8/10
August 23, 2023
A short and informative book that covers timber poaching which is a $1 trillion, yes, Trillion business or loss. Incalculable is the carbon footprint loss but there’s probably an app for that now. Haha. Lots of history and sociology about work loss- logging industry. Pretty fascinating.
The author discusses how hard it is to prosecute poachers and forges relationships with some ne’er do wells in Orick, California. Their candor over their crimes which they don’t see as crimes made for a more interesting story. Meth and drugs drives a lot of the poaching in the Pacific Northwest. South America is visited as well as Canada. The development of a laboratory to trace tree DNA and collect samples from archives all over the world of specimens is also covered.
She covers a lot of ground and doesn’t get bogged down in science. Glad I bought it. Glad I didn’t retire to the Redwood Coast too.
The author discusses how hard it is to prosecute poachers and forges relationships with some ne’er do wells in Orick, California. Their candor over their crimes which they don’t see as crimes made for a more interesting story. Meth and drugs drives a lot of the poaching in the Pacific Northwest. South America is visited as well as Canada. The development of a laboratory to trace tree DNA and collect samples from archives all over the world of specimens is also covered.
She covers a lot of ground and doesn’t get bogged down in science. Glad I bought it. Glad I didn’t retire to the Redwood Coast too.
October 8, 2024
Focused in the PNW which was so interesting bc I could really connect it to what's around me. Opens your eyes to the complications of conservation. From the locals' view of it, and how that goes with poverty and crime. Quite an interesting read, I couldn't put it down.
My only wish is that they also included interviews from native American tribes, and their views on national parks. Especially in the PNW, where a lot of national parks are on what was primary native American land. How does one deal with the fact that they're told not to use land they've used for centuries in an environmental friendly way? I thought it would tie in nicely, but that just wasn't to be found.
Lyndsie Bourgon writes a great journalistic view regardless. Comes at it with a compassion and historical background that was appreciated.
My only wish is that they also included interviews from native American tribes, and their views on national parks. Especially in the PNW, where a lot of national parks are on what was primary native American land. How does one deal with the fact that they're told not to use land they've used for centuries in an environmental friendly way? I thought it would tie in nicely, but that just wasn't to be found.
Lyndsie Bourgon writes a great journalistic view regardless. Comes at it with a compassion and historical background that was appreciated.
June 22, 2024
Bourgon does a great job of mixing hard fact with narrative that really keeps the pace up as they expose us to a world very few people think about. I was expecting a high-minded book about the logging industry on a whole and, while she does touch on that, it is really more about the intersection of public policy on local (especially rural) communities. As a city-dwelling "coastal elite" this was really eye opening to the plight of rural America as it adjusts to changing times and the clear resentment they feel to large scale decisions (even those made in good faith) that fail to take them into account.
If you have a passion for nature or sustainability, I think this is required reading.
If you have a passion for nature or sustainability, I think this is required reading.
August 16, 2022
Such a well written account of the clashing cultures of environmentalism, conservation and the timber industry.
The author artfully sets the historical stage, presents the current state, and sets up future conversations for a pragmatic approach to forest use.
The thing that struck me most was the refreshing decision to limit the author's own actions and inner dialogue, leading to a clearer voice for the people within.
The author artfully sets the historical stage, presents the current state, and sets up future conversations for a pragmatic approach to forest use.
The thing that struck me most was the refreshing decision to limit the author's own actions and inner dialogue, leading to a clearer voice for the people within.
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