Author Topic: Are Cutting Black Walnut Trees Illegal? (Read 2345 times)

tim1234 · « **on:** August 05, 2008, 11:29:26 pm »

My neighbor here in SE Mich had her triple trunk black walnut topped. She was going to put a tree house in the top

I mentioned it might not be safe seein that the tree was now kinda dead and there was most likely some rottin goin on. But when she was talking to the city about the tree fort, she mentioned that she had cut the Black Walnut. The city guy said ohh I didn't hear that, I didn't hear that. Cuttin black walnuts is illegal because it is protected

Have any of you ever heard of Black Walnut being protected? I sure havn't.

Tim

WDH · « **Reply #1 on:** August 05, 2008, 11:33:07 pm »

No. No reason to protect them unless it is a specific city ordinance. They are not rare or threatened.

beenthere · « **Reply #2 on:** August 06, 2008, 12:14:58 am »

Have never heard of it either. Most city folk want to get rid of them, as they are thought to be a "dirty" yard tree. The nuts and their husks can make a mess.

But, who knows what crazy things these protectionists come up with.

Gary_C · « **Reply #3 on:** August 06, 2008, 12:18:34 am »

Never heard of that either. If it was true the MN DNR would have to stop making all that money selling walnut trees from the state forests.

John Mc · « **Reply #4 on:** August 06, 2008, 12:50:58 pm »

I can't see why they would be protected... the grow like weeds. When you've got the right conditions, you can't keep up with them. I took two down in my in-laws yard (mother-in-law was getting sick of having the stain tracked into the house and their rental cottages). From the size of the growth rings, both those trees were putting on an inch year diameter. Father-in-law is getting some of it sawed up for cabinets and other projects.

John Mc

tim1234 · « **Reply #5 on:** August 06, 2008, 10:21:05 pm »

I wouldn't put it past Dearborn to have some pretty weird ordinances. Up until a few years ago, before they adopted the NEC, there was an ordinacne that you needed to pull a $0.25 permit to change a light bulb. There were a lot of Dearbornites breaking that one

I think I'll give the city a call and see what I can find out. I've got a big one that is on it's last legs that I want to saw. About 24" to 30" dbh and a good 80 to 100' tall.

Thanks for the sanity check.

Tim

Gary_C · « **Reply #6 on:** August 07, 2008, 01:00:13 am »

TIm

Be careful about asking questions unless you can stand to hear an answer you don't wish to hear.

tim1234 · « **Reply #7 on:** August 07, 2008, 07:44:41 am »

Quote from: Gary_C on August 07, 2008, 01:00:13 am

TIm

Be careful about asking questions unless you can stand to hear an answer you don't wish to hear.

Good point

Ironwood · « **Reply #8 on:** August 07, 2008, 08:23:15 am »

Don't you love whenthe Man gets involved iin our lives? WOW light bulbs ayyy?

Ironwood

SeeSaw · « **Reply #9 on:** August 07, 2008, 08:35:37 am »

I have also heard that it's illegal in Michigan to cut Black Walnut trees. I have never actually seen the law written though so I believe it may be heresy. I do believe the origin, from what I've heard anyway, is that during WWII there were so many of them being cut down to make gun stocks that at some point they had to protect them. That part seems to make sense, but I don't think this law is still in the books. Not certain, but it may just be that people perpetuate it when it does not still exist. In any case I know of no one that's been prosecuted for removing a diseased or a nuisance walnut tree.

SeeSaw

beenthere · « **Reply #10 on:** August 07, 2008, 11:13:41 am »

Any Michigan Foresters that know about this?

Tom · « **Reply #11 on:** August 07, 2008, 11:20:44 am »

If there are ordinances, I'll bet they are city or county ordinances. Every County and City has a handful of influental do-gooders that spend their waking hours mucking in other people's lives. It's difficult for the general joe or joan doe to do this at the State level, but when you get to the City level, they thrive. If there is a local ordinance against cutting a tree, any tree, the County Forester should know about it, or be able to find out. While I wouldn't want to deal with the Zoning department, they may know too.

DanG · « **Reply #12 on:** August 07, 2008, 11:25:13 am »

That could have been just one of those local ordinances designed to protect the urban trees in general. They passed a "tree ordinance" in Tallahassee back in the '80s and started requiring a permit to cut any tree over 6" dbh. Once my Bro-in-law wanted me to cut down a small dead tree in his front yard, but he made the mistake of asking about it down at City Hall. They wanted $100 for a permit, so the tree just rotted and fell over on its own.

Larry · « **Reply #13 on:** August 07, 2008, 02:30:11 pm »

Most cities in NW Arkansas are Tree Cities. Once they qualify they get a nice little sign to display at there boundary and can use a logo on advertisements. The actual ordinances along with enforcement varies greatly from town to town.

Read bout the program rite here.

http://www.arborday.org/programs/treeCityUSA/index.cfm

And iffen you’re a tree city you might need a forester, and than the forester needs a staff, and than we need more ordinances to enforce, just to justify our jobs, and than we need permits along with fees, and than we need inspectors to insure the work is properly completed.

Your tax dollars at work.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #14 on:** August 07, 2008, 03:30:34 pm »

With butternut being attacked by canker in some areas I expect some law for harvesting or moving that to. But, maybe since it's not as important as ash or walnut they just leave it to fate. People will leave an old crooked white pine that would never make a saw log, but will push over or cut down a butternut even if it's one of a dozen on a woodlot and on a stream bank were riparian buffers are suppose to exist. Or doze off a half acre so they can cut the 10 acres of river front clean off to the water with no intention of ever building even as much as a shack. Just as there are people out there that come up with ideas to protect things, there are those that see the holes in the laws to get around it.

Tom · « **Reply #15 on:** August 07, 2008, 03:58:38 pm »

well,putting the logic to it that the Government is always right and does everything in our best interest; and the citizens are always looking for a way to circumvent the laws, I can understand the need for so many laws. The Government should really take this job to heart and lock all citizens up in an institution of "protection", letting them out only for specified leaves as provided for by a bureaucratic board of permission. That way, those devious citizens won't be able to harm the Government's property.

This existing mentality would even go far to prevent the citizens from destroying or upsetting the Housing market, overuse of utilities, the burning of fossil fuels, the need to clean up the roadsides and even the need to obtain an education. By using gender specific institutions, the populationg could even be controlled.

Just think of how neat and clean it would be to get rid of all of those things that cause the Government so many headaches today.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #16 on:** August 07, 2008, 04:06:18 pm »

Well, I'm wondering if they are looking for a list of names of bad acting characters. I'll submit a list.

Tom · « **Reply #17 on:** August 07, 2008, 04:11:08 pm »

To make it work they will have to lock everybody up. By defacto, there aren't any good people.

Ron Scott · « **Reply #18 on:** August 07, 2008, 06:41:50 pm »

I haven't heard anything concerning it being illegal to cut black walnut here.

tim1234 · « **Reply #19 on:** August 07, 2008, 07:54:14 pm »

Thanks Ron,

Boy this tread took a turn

Tim

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Author Topic: Are Cutting Black Walnut Trees Illegal? (Read 2345 times)