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Are Cutting Black Walnut Trees Illegal?

Started by tim1234, August 05, 2008, 11:29:26 PM

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tim1234

My neighbor here in SE Mich had her triple trunk black walnut topped.  She was going to put a tree house in the top :o  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
You buy a cheap tool twice...and then you're still stuck with a cheap tool!!
Husky 372XP, 455 Rancher, Echo CS300, Alaskan 30" Chainsaw Mill

WDH

No.  No reason to protect them unless it is a specific city ordinance.  They are not rare or threatened. 
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

beenthere

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.  :)

south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Gary_C

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.
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

John Mc

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
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

tim1234

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 :D ;) ;D ;D

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
You buy a cheap tool twice...and then you're still stuck with a cheap tool!!
Husky 372XP, 455 Rancher, Echo CS300, Alaskan 30" Chainsaw Mill

Gary_C

TIm

Be careful about asking questions unless you can stand to hear an answer you don't wish to hear.
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

tim1234

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 ;)
You buy a cheap tool twice...and then you're still stuck with a cheap tool!!
Husky 372XP, 455 Rancher, Echo CS300, Alaskan 30" Chainsaw Mill

Ironwood

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


Ironwood
There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love to do, there is only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.- Wayne Dyer

SeeSaw

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 
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, completely worn out and loudly proclaiming, WHAT A RIDE...!

beenthere

Any Michigan Foresters that know about this?   ::)
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Tom

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

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. ::)
"I don't feel like an old man.  I feel like a young man who has something wrong with him."  Dick Cavett
"Beat not thy sword into a plowshare, rather beat the sword of thine enemy into a plowshare."

Larry

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. :D :D :D  Your tax dollars at work. :) :)
Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

We need to insure our customers understand the importance of our craft.

SwampDonkey

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. ::)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Tom

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. :P

SwampDonkey

Well, I'm wondering if they are looking for a list of names of bad acting characters. I'll submit a list.  :D :D :D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Tom

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

Ron Scott

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

tim1234

Thanks Ron,

Boy this tread took a turn :)

Tim
You buy a cheap tool twice...and then you're still stuck with a cheap tool!!
Husky 372XP, 455 Rancher, Echo CS300, Alaskan 30" Chainsaw Mill

thecfarm

Not illegal to cut walnut here either. 
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

ellmoe

  I have people come into the mill on a regular basis surprised that we have cypress. "I thought cutting cypress is illegal", they'll say. I'll reply, "Nope, and I bet you think its an endangered species too." "Isn't it?" is the reply. I think, "here we go again". ::)

Mark
Thirty plus years in the sawmill/millwork business. A sore back and arthritic fingers to prove it!

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