New York State Forest Ranger McCartney reported that on Saturday, November 26 at about 1:00 pm, he was checking the trail register at Moss Lake in the town of Webb, Herkimer County, in the Adirondack Park when he heard someone approaching him on the trail.
The Ranger said he observed a man dragging a freshly cut spruce tree and carrying a saw toward a pickup truck in the parking lot.
Once the man loaded the tree into his truck, Ranger McCartney said he interviewed the 58-year-old from Old Forge and educated him about regulations prohibiting the cutting of trees by the public on State land, regardless of its potential use in holiday celebrations.
The man was then issued an appearance ticket.
Photo of illegally cut tree in Webb by Forest Ranger McCartney.
This New York State Forest Ranger story of ticketing a man for illegally cutting a spruce tree, probably for his family’s Christmas celebration, reminds me of a popular ballad by Chris Shaw, “The Ten Dollar Chrristmas.” You can listen to Chris Shaw’s heartfelt Christmas story at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o15HMt7Dpi8
Truly one of my favorite of his Adirondack ballads. Season’s Greetings to all.
My thought exactly! 10 Dollar Christmas is a Christopher Shaw classic, along with Cold River Waltz, Belle of the Boquet and many others!
Wonder what the fine is NOW for cutting a tree on state forest preserve?
Anyone who wishes to read the original forest ranger/Christmas short story by William Chapman White, will find it included in chapter 9 of “The Forest Rangers”, DEC’s official history of the NYS Forest Ranger Force, beginning on page 105.
The entire content of this 1987 ranger centennial classic is now available at this free on-line book site:
https://nysl.ptfs.com/aw-server/rest/product/purl/NYSL/s/7908436a-cf33-443b-ab06-a06a0d1c952f
To Louis Curth,
Thank you very much for including this link to the original short story, “Ten Dollar Christmas,” from which Chris Shaw adapted his ballad. I appreciate the access to your 1987 book, THE FORST RANGERS: A History of the New York State Forest Ranger Force, and I look forward to reading more of it and sharing it with others. Your book’s dedication is wonderful and so true: “Many men and women have, at sometime during their lives, entertained the dream of becoming a Forest Ranger. This book is dedicated to the many who didn’t get to be Rangers as well as to the few you did.” Thank you!