The Forest History Society’s webinar series Conversations in Forest History returns on Oct. 31, 2022, at 2 PM Eastern Time. This webinar has been approved for 1 hour of CFE credit from the Society of American Foresters.

Timber theft has been labeled “a problem in every national forest” because there is a strong market for poached old-growth timber and redwood burls, which enter our homes in the form of firewood, furniture, and building materials. But while poaching contributes to a lucrative trade, it’s also an ancient crime that’s deeply rooted in the identity of those that live and work in forests. Many contemporary poachers see their actions as following in a long line of protest, and also as a response to conservation plans that contributed to rural poverty. In her new book Tree Thieves: Crime and Survival in North America’s Woods, Lyndsie Bourgon explores the social and economic drivers behind timber poaching in the Pacific Northwest. As part of her talk about timber theft, Lyndsie will discuss how she utilized oral history practices to investigate a nationwide logger protest in 1978.

Lyndsie Bourgon is an author, oral historian, and 2018 National Geographic Explorer. Her first book, Tree Thieves: Crime and Survival in North America’s Woods, was published in the US, Canada and the UK this summer, and was named a New York Times Editors’ Choice. She works for Crown-Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada as a researcher and policy analyst, focusing on unmarked burials at former Indian residential school sites.

To register for this event, visit https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_3gpLZV7yQhGhQAoSX-mWoA.