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?