Missouri – The recent indictment of a southern Missouri man, who was illegally harvesting trees from the Mark Twain National Forest, was done through the uncommon evidence of tree DNA.
In October of 2019, a witness notified law enforcement of potential illegal harvesting in the forest near Siloam Springs, Mo. At a closer look, they found eight freshly cut walnut stumps at the site. The leading investigator took a look at a nearby lumber mill and found a log with similar dimensions to the illegally cut-down trees. To prove that this log was the same as the stump they contacted Richard Crown, a USDA Forest Service research geneticist in Oregon. Crown performed a tree DNA test to prove that the two pieces of wood belonged to the stump. Using this evidence, the investigator was able to take the man into custody.
The defendant pled guilty in July 2023 to one felony count of depredation of Government property and was sentenced to 5 months of time served, a 3-year supervised release, and restitution for the value of the lumber.
This case is the first case that tree DNA was used to prosecute an individual in the eastern United States. Tree DNA is the genetic material found within a tree or the tree root system. It can be used to identify tree species, study the genetic diversity of tree populations, and track the spread of invasive species. This information was provided by a news release from the United States Forest Service.
