Man charged with stealing timber frompark

Rangers say he cut tree, dragged it to his nearby property

ABerksCountyman is accused of cutting down a large tree on French Creek State Park land and dragging it to his adjacent property in Union Township.

Scott D. Patterson, 59, of the 200 block of Crusher Road remained free on his own recognizance to await a hearing following arraignment Monday night before District Judge Eric J. Taylor in Reading Central Court.

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Ranger Gabriel Marks filed the charges Monday. They include theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, damaging real property by a motor vehicle and violating rules of state land.

According to the criminal complaint:

On April 29 park Ranger Krista Leibensperger went to investigate a report from someone who lives near the park that a large tree had been cut down on park property next to Patterson’s. Leiben speger found that a large tulip poplar tree, measuring 34 inches in diameter, had been cut down.

She saw fresh sawdust around the stump and a metal chain and a gas cap from a tractor nearby alongwith tire tracks and scrapes on the pavement of Crusher Road.

Leibensperger also found a can of red marking paint within a few hundred feet of the stump. She followed the tire tracks and saw more damage and bent trees and branches.

Also, within the tire tracks near the road there was a large tree trunk that appeared to be the same species as the one that had been cut down.

Leibensperger also saw red marking paint on trees on Patterson’s property.

Within French Creek park boundaries, the ranger found a tractor parked in a disturbed area of the woods. As she was photographing the scene, Patterson approached and confirmed the tractor belonged to him.

Leibensperger consulted a subdivision map that confirmed the entire disturbed area was within park boundaries. The parcel was sold to the park when the property was subdivided.

On May 13 the ranger went to Patterson’s property and asked about the tree that had been cut down on park property. He denied cutting it, but said he was at a neighbor’s house when he heard the tree fall.

Patterson admitted using his tractor to drag the tree down the road and taking it.

An expert for the state Bureau of Forestry determined the value of lumber from the tree to be $ 1,289.