Man Faces Jail Time For Illegally Cutting Down Birch Trees

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A northern Minnesota man is facing possible jail time for illegally cutting down hundreds of trees.

Birch tree theft is on the rise on federal land in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Birch is currently very popular in home design and thieves can make hundreds of dollars selling the park.

In March, a conservation officer heard trees being cut down in a wooded area near Embarass.

Upon further investigation, the officer found 40-year-old David Lawrence with around 100 birch trees on the ground.

Lawrence told the officer he had been chopping down trees for three days and selling them to a man from Wisconsin.

The officer also discovered around 1,200 trees had been removed. The estimated value is more than $3,000.

Lawrence was charged with theft of timber on state land.