California redwoods being poached (to buy, association, health)

[TVC15]

Well now isn't this a lovely discovery...Redwood Times

Art of the Burl Redwood Gallery offers works by local artists from local materials - Redwood Times

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by TVC15

Well now isn't this a lovely discovery...Redwood Times

Art of the Burl Redwood Gallery offers works by local artists from local materials - Redwood Times

*clears throat*

They will not buy burls cut from the trunks of standing trees because of the possibility that these have been poached from public forests.

[TVC15]

Originally Posted by Tulemutt

*clears throat*

I wonder how they would know the difference?

Sounds nice to say such a thing but really how do differentiate?

"All the wood items are carved from root burls of local trees"

[Tulemutt]

All the wood items are carved from root burls of local trees. Along with the shop, Boyce and Starck acquired Stone’s inventory of burls, but they also purchase burls from local residents who have been logging or clearing their land. They will not buy burls cut from the trunks of standing trees because of the possibility that these have been poached from public forests.

Root burls are different from trunk burls. Trunk burls can come from standing trees. Root burls can only come from - well, uprooted trees. Which means they are fallen already.

[TVC15]

Originally Posted by Tulemutt

Root burls are different from trunk burls. Trunk burls can come from standing trees. Root burls can only come from - well, uprooted trees. Which means they are fallen already.

I don't think you can make a coffee table from root burls. Only trunk burls.

And to get to the Root Burl you must cut the Trunk Burl.

I don't buy it at all they are just saying what they must to protect their business.

How do they know weather or not they are buying burl cut from standing trees or logged trees? No way to tell the difference.

[TVC15]

Too bad there are Redwood burl dealers.


California Redwoods Increasingly Targeted By Burl Poachers - Science News - redOrbit

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by TVC15

I don't think you can make a coffee table from root burls. Only trunk burls.

And to get to the Root Burl you must cut the Trunk Burl.

I don't buy it at all they are just saying what they must to protect their business.

How do they know weather or not they are buying burl cut from standing trees or logged trees? No way to tell the difference.

Shades of Gracie Allen. I did not think it was possible in real life. But here it is. Evidence.

Would someone else like to explain ?

[TVC15]

Originally Posted by Tulemutt

Shades of Gracie Allen. I did not think it was possible in real life. But here it is. Evidence.

Would someone else like to explain ?

What do you think needs explaining?

And why are you trying to turn this into an off topic thread?

[TVC15]

Cool information about Redwoods

Redwood National Park

[OwlKaMyst]

I don't think you can make a coffee table from root burls. Only trunk burls.
Yes- the root is used as a stand for a slab of glass for the table. As a slab table, it will have holes and not be very large unless the tree was massive, but those are rare these days.

And to get to the Root Burl you must cut the Trunk Burl.
Not every redwood has trunk burl. Burl is a 'defect' caused by stress, disease or fungus.

I don't buy it at all they are just saying what they must to protect their business. How do they know weather or not they are buying burl cut from standing trees or logged trees? No way to tell the difference.
I lived down the street from this business, in Miranda. Spread out all along the perimeter of his shop as large, old redwood trunk bases with roots. There are enough redwoods still on private land just in the Miranda area that the business can be stocked with ethically harvested materials. Someone who is a local, as the original owner of the business for sure has a address book of the people he has been dealing with for years (which would be passed on to the new owners). Often people dealing with wood will go out to where the tree is before anything is arranged. With the well known drug problem in the area, and locals who are sick of it, if someone, who is obviously a tweeker, is not a local, came in with a trunk burl; they are going to get called out.
Now I am not defending the business. You could be totally right. Having lived there, I know the dynamics of the So Hum community.
However, I totally understand your cynicism. If we were talking about Canadian Maple trees and syrup, I would have probably said what you did.