Tree Farmer - May/June 2010 - (Page 26)

Trespassing TOM tive. The owner and his/her agents are the central and critical barrier to trespass. Other barriers include controlling access, posting, monitoring, and neighbors. In rare cases, it might make sense to close a road with a ditch or mounds of soil or rock. This can be effective at limiting access to trespassers, but it also limits the owner’s access. And whether you utilize gates or barriers, you must consider and limit your liability. Cable gates were common 30 years ago, but these are difficult to see and very hazardous to four-wheelers. Cutting an existing road would create a hazard for everyone accustomed to traveling that road freely. A child on an all-terrain vehicle will not always exercise good judgment; I recommend you view your liabilities with that in mind. And you can’t limit access to public roads. If the state or county claims a Prevent woodland security By Kazee in Your Woods Unless your woodlot is on the moon, you’ve probably had trespassers. And you are likely to understand the problems range from mild nuisance to expensive, dangerous trouble. Three particularly aggravating components come to mind immediately: four-wheel-drive all-terrain vehicles, marijuana farms, and meth labs. If you own or share responsibility for large or remote tracts, you must be sensitive to all the related issues. Let me begin this discussion with the most critical issue: your personal safety. Unless you are a trained, sworn law enforcement officer, you are not equipped in any way to deal with criminals face-to-face. Do not let your emotions push you into a confrontation with trespassers. Even on your own property, it is always best to avoid a confrontation and report the matter to law enforcement for their investigation. Landowners can prevent trespass, vandalism, and related problems with a series or set of cost-effective, common-sense barriers. “Preventing” trespass is actually impossible: We can only reduce the potential and the damage. Trespassing might be prevented on a suburban lot, but not a forest. The critical component of this series of barriers is you, the landowner. If you are indifferent to or unaware of the potential problems, then all other components will be ineffec- Controlling Access For our urban neighbors, controlling access might mean fences. For large woodlots, a fence is rarely an economical option. But vandals are often lazy and they won’t walk very far, so a good gate in the right place will help. Gates are a nuisance. They can attract bees and be a bother, as even the owners must have the right key to gain access. A good one can cost $1,000 or more to construct and install. They are common targets for vandals — but they are indispensable. You might need a dozen locks if you have a dozen hunt clubs behind the gate (not uncommon), and a gate alone might be insufficient. Barriers adjacent to a gate must be constructed to prevent the four-wheelers from going around the gate. Registered forester Tom Kazee helps clients across the Southeast reduce the potential for financial crimes through his firm, Woodland Security Inc. in Orange Park, Florida. Reach him at (904) 504-9489 or . 26 Tree Farmer MAY/JUNE 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Tree Farmer - May/June 2010

Tree Farmer - May/June 2010
Contents
Cover Story
Control the Competition
2009 Western Regional Tree Farmers of the Year
Management 101: The Value of Planning
Woodland Security
Wildlife Matters

Tree Farmer - May/June 2010