Tree Thieves: Crime and Survival in North America's Woods
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-06-23 16:21:36
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Lyndsie Bourgon
- ISBN：0316497444
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
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。
Reviews
Clementine
，
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 i 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。 。。。more
Ivy
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This book was a real eye-opener。
Doris Sander
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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 o 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 。。。more
Christine Piepmeier
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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。
Jessica
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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 o 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。 。。。more
Jeanette Brown
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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， 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。 。。。more
Lindsay
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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 h 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。 。。。more
Dan
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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 prote 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。 。。。more
Harley Rustad
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