Slippery ELM Bark theft!

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timusp40

timusp40

Feeling the Heat
Feb 3, 2010
266
Lake Orion, Michigan
This blows my mind. I'm from Michigan, but have been working in Kentucky on and off for the last year. Today on the local TV news they show a few woodlots where thieves are stripping the bark from these trees which of course means the tree will die. Supposedly, they are getting $.50 a pound for the bank. They sell it to people that export for its healing powers. Totally legal to sell it acording to authorities, but not to steal it from private property. Anyone out there ever heard of this?
 
That's sad. The Red Elms have a hard enough time surviving around here without this. Who are these guys, a bunch of meth heads? I mean, how many pounds of bark can you get off a tree (they don't get real big here in the woods before they die,) a few bucks' worth? :mad:
 
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Here I just burned & composted the bark from about a cord & a half of Red (Slippery) Elm this season. Coulda made 10 bucks!
I think if I were that hard-up I'd stick to collecting cans for 5 cents a piece & not get shot while doing it.
 
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Aspirin came from certain kinds of willow bark originally. Gotta wonder if the taking of elm bark is just snake oil, or if it has any real benefit. If so, it should be synthesized instead of killing the trees.
 
I know my wife bought some of the powder at a natural store for our dogs stomach issues. Never thought of stripping a tree to get it. That's pretty harsh.
 
This is as stupid as shooting an elephant, taking the tusks and leaving the corpse to rot, or doing the same to a bear and just taking the liver. It's bizarre what some cultures believe.
 
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Woody Stover said:
That's sad. The Red Elms have a hard enough time surviving around here without this. Who are these guys, a bunch of meth heads? I mean, how many pounds of bark can you get off a tree (they don't get real big here in the woods before they die,) a few bucks' worth? :mad:
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Very sad indeed. Not many Red Elms left around where I am either,most are smaller with a few medium sized ones still growing.American Elm,with the occasional Rock Elm which looks very similar are way more numerous.Guessing the American out numbers the Red in the area I cut at 10 to 1 easily.Red's dont seem to be as 'tenacious' or tolerable to various growing conditions as the other one either.I've only seen Red growing inside city limits when that was a 'wild' wooded area near a creek or far from buildings.Where American/White/Gray will grow almost anywhere.
 
Well, slippery elm is sold for stomach problems and God only knows what else. I hope the idiots who are stealing get caught.
 
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