Bad meeting with USFS officer

[jess]

so today i was out cutting firewood in an area that was not open to wood cutting i will admit that and i will pay my fine.. But what i was realy pissed about is when the officer said all the people in the republic USFS office "are inbreed and are telling the firewood thieves his schedule"... First off alot of these people are my friends and take great offence to that statemen and will be talking to his boss tomorrow, and second off dont the national forest belong to the people? How can a person be a thief for cutting dead snags and down trees? This also offended me because i never have or will steal ever.. Sorry for venting just pissed not about the ticket but the way the officer behaved in my three+ hour ordeal with this officer..

[NW-GSP]

If you have the officers name make a complaint. I agree that even though you broke the law you still do not need to be treated that way. Pretty simple here's your ticket get on your way

[PolarBear]

Yeah that sucks!
Hey, do they still have that big set of whitie antlers that was found up Swan Lake way in the office?

[jess]

yeah polarbear they do.. What a toad! I had to unload my wood up there and he took my saw and splittin maul.. Said i can get them back when i pay my $400 ticket

[PolarBear]

I bet I know which one that is.  What a prick!  I haven't been over since the big windstorm a few months ago but I hear that there are a ton of windfalls.  I heard that places up McMann Creek road look like a blast zone.  I'll be over in a couple of weeks to check it out.  Maybe you should fall a tree in the road the next time you run across that tree cop.   

[Bean Counter]

If you have the officers name make a complaint. I agree that even though you broke the law you still do not need to be treated that way. Pretty simple here's your ticket get on your way

You don't need the officers name to file a complaint. They will figure out who it was based on the date, time, location, etc..

[Gundy]

You were stealing. So dont say you "never" steal. You broke the law and are paying the piper. Now your panties are in a bunch and your gonna go tattle on the mean FS man... LOL.... be a man, take your medicine and shut up.

[Skyvalhunter]

Glad to know Gundy was just joking. I have had a few what they call coutesy checks by the USFS/WDFW/County Sheriff all in ones and it has been my experience they are A-holes. The one up by Stevens Pass is a real peice of work. Won't give them the time of day.

[Elkaholic daWg]

Glad to know Gundy was just joking. I have had a few what they call coutesy checks by the USFS/WDFW/County Sheriff all in ones and it has been my experience they are A-holes. The one up by Stevens Pass is a real peice of work. Won't give them the time of day.

 Definately  bigger idiots and A holes the closer to pugetropolis you get. most  (USFS) should stay at their desks

[pianoman9701]

Were this a story about someone, during a legal activity, being treated unprofessionally, I would care. As it is, I don't. This is apparently the first time you've been caught. The chances are great that this isn't the first time you've stolen resources from your fellow Washingtonians. Sorry, but you lost me as soon as you told us you're a thief. Just my 

[Shed Stud]

Did you buy your permit and tags? I always buy my permit and tags, but rarely find nice wood in "open" areas. Firewood cut area boundries are a joke. Unless it is a active timber sale our woods should be open to cut everywhere. 

[JLS]

The meetings I've had with Forest Service LEOs (quite a few over the years actually) have all been very pleasant.  On a couple of occasions I was in the wrong, I didn't make excuses for my mistake (one careless and should have known better and the other honest) and was given warnings each time.  I wouldn't have argued a ticket if I had gotten one.

The other encounters were compliance checks during hunting season, checking our camps for food storage and such.  No issues there, because we make sure we do things by the book.

[rtspring]

HANG HIM??  Really,  for chirst sake he was cutting wood, which by the way lays there and just rots over the years....  yes I know there are laws, but I have had enough of these threads about bad law enforcement. Write me a damn ticket and either take me to jail or Im outta there...

Heres the kicker to this story, no wood cutting allowed? but HUNTERS such as I and people around where I camp are burning CORDS of wood?  hmmm seeems kinda hipocritical to me.......

HE was cutting wood and made a mistake, we got better people to hang!!

RTSPRING

[pianoman9701]

HANG HIM??  Really,  for chirst sake he was cutting wood, which by the way lays there and just rots over the years....  yes I know there are laws, but I have had enough of these threads about bad law enforcement. Write me a damn ticket and either take me to jail or Im outta there...

Heres the kicker to this story, no wood cutting allowed? but HUNTERS such as I and people around where I camp are burning CORDS of wood?  hmmm seeems kinda hipocritical to me.......

HE was cutting wood and made a mistake, we got better people to hang!!

RTSPRING

You're allowed to use resources within the forest without a permit, including burning cords of wood at hunting camp. It's allowed. Wood cutting permits go to pay for the stewardship of our forests. When you take wood without a permit you leave your fellow citizens footing your bill. It's theft, just as much as someone taking the refrigerator of your porch would be, RT. This isn't even an ethical question. I confused as to your support of this guy.

[Whitpirate]

Let's just let it all lie down and tinder up.  Worked well this summer for Table Mt.  NFS "management" is a joke.  I am confident we'll have a slobbernocker of a fire up Sullivan Lake area soon enough the way they've shut stuff down.

The OP was wrong but the officer out of line.