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Non-Tech : The Y2K Newspaper -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Bill Ounce who wrote (157)	12/1/1999 5:35:00 PM
From: hunchback	Respond to of 198

Y2K fears lead to increased thefts of wood from public lands in Four Corners region 12/01/99 By D. Weyermann / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News FARMINGTON, N.M. - In the past, U.S. Ranger Randy Tracy has had to track big game hunters or traditional hearth bread bakers in his quest to preserve the public forests. This year, he faces culprits as unique as the millennium: Y2K wood hoarders. Ranger Tracy, the lone lawman for the Bureau of Land Management in the Four Corners, says his citations for illegally removing wood from public lands have doubled this year. He stops up to 30 pickups a day. Half are transporting illegal wood. "I actually started worrying more about the trucks on the highway because of citizen complaints," Ranger Tracy said. "We were getting lots of calls from people witnessing the thefts, and that hasn't happened in the past. "With this Y2K thing, people are loading up. They're thinking everything is going to grind to a halt." The so-called Y2K problem refers to the chance that older computers and software may incorrectly read the date when the calendar flips to 2000. Some fear that power grids could be shut down. Wood in this high desert area containing parts of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona is not as bountiful as it could be. Traditional Navajos living on the reservation strain already-limited resources by gathering wood for heating and cooking on a daily basis. "I understand they used to get free coal from the mines, but that isn't happening anymore," Ranger Tracy said. "It's complicated." Hunters and outfitters were Ranger Tracy's other headache because they chopped wood in remote camps. Now, he finds he need only sit by the side of the road watching for wood-laden pickups. "If they don't have a tag on the wood, I stop them," he said. The Bureau of Land Management allows individuals to collect two cords of wood every 60 days exclusively for personal use. Trees must be dead and fallen before they can be claimed. A cord measures 4 feet high, 4 feet wide and 8 feet long. A permit is $14, and a logger must conspicuously tag his haul with a bureau flag. Those gathering wood on private land must produce a letter from the landowner proving origin. But this year, two cords don't seem to satisfy everyone, and some return before they are eligible. People also have been chopping living trees in increased numbers. The back country is crisscrossed with dirt roads used by gas and oil companies to install and service wells. The roads have proved convenient for wood thieves wishing to operate in privacy. "You can pull off to almost any remote oil pad and see the stumps," Ranger Tracy said. Then there are the wood thief entrepreneurs. Responding to increased demand this year, street-corner salesmen have popped up around towns. A cord of wood from these outlets costs about $130. "These are the people who gall me the most," Ranger Tracy said. "If they've stolen cords and cords of wood from the public at $7 a cord . . . well, you do the math." Some have benefited from the wood stampede. "My sales are up about 10 percent this year," said Lloyd Husted of the wood-burning stoves he sells at Raindrops Inc. in Farmington. "I just had this conversation with a customer," said Durango Stoves and Spas salesman Bob Agnello. "He was Y2K conscious, but a lot of people up here just want the stoves as alternative energy source." Whatever the reasons, stealing public wood doesn't pay for the thieves Ranger Tracy catches. Fines for an illegal load are $250. Even if you have a permit, if the wood isn't tagged, the fine is still $100, which suits Ranger Tracy fine. "This is a national resource that belongs to everybody," he said. "I want the law-abiding citizens to know that I'm out here protecting their property." dallasnews.com