arson and a big WV sycamore   Fores-@aol.com
  Sep 05, 2007 08:04 PDT 
Authorities investigate arson at landmark tree
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WEBSTER SPRINGS Someone set fire to a 500-year-old sycamore tree in
Webster County Monday afternoon, authorities said.
I"t's an old landmark," said Sgt. Curt Tonkin of the West Virginia Division
of Natural Resources law enforcement section. "It's a huge sycamore that
s been a landmark here for several hundred years."
The fire broke out at the tree, located on the Back Fork of Elk River,
around noon Monday, Tonkin said. The tree survived the flames, but was damaged.
Investigators have determined that the fire was caused by arson.   
We are not sure the extent of the damage yet, Tonkin said. "It didn't burn
down. [The fire] burnt up the inside of the tree."
"The tree trunk was hollow and people could walk inside of it. Authorities
have closed the area around the tree until we conduct an investigation of just
exactly how much was damaged, if it's going to live or even be safe to be
around." Tonkin said.
The Webster Springs Fire Department, Webster Sheriff's Department and the
state Division of Forestry responded to the fire, Tonkin said. They were on
scene for several hours, as the fire smoldered even after the flames were out.
RE: arson and a big WV sycamore   dbhg-@comcast.net
  Sep 06, 2007 05:34 PDT 
James,

     I doubt that anyone will ever be caught. Big trees with a reputation are fair game for kids and that element of the redneck community that resents the very existence of a big tree. Tree huggers are considered to be communists. From the dwarfed, twisted perspective of this redneck element, the only good tree is a cut tree.

Bob

-------------- Original message --------------
From: James Smith <jsmit-@carolina.rr.com>;
 
Crap! I was going to visit that tree in October!!! I didn't have time to
swing by there on my last trip to WV a couple months ago.

I hope the person who did this meets a Mack truck head on at 70mph.
Re: Back to Lee again   Lee E. Frelich
  Sep 06, 2007 06:18 PDT 
Bob:

The pendulum swung back and forth from climax to catastrophists several
times during the 20th Century, and when catastrophists were in vogue,
everyone was against Clements. These days we finally understand that
periods of stability of varying lengths occur in different forest types and
neither side was correct in asserting that their favored point of view
applied in all cases.

People also didn't like Clements because he came up with the concept of
forest as a superorganism.

Lee
Re: arson and a big WV sycamore   Fores-@aol.com
  Sep 06, 2007 08:09 PDT 
Bob:

I think that you hit the nail firmly on the head...I only wish I had some
decent examples to dispute your statement.

Russ