Rare-Wood Thieves Raiding State’s Black Walnut Orchards

A new kind of theft is quickly becoming one of the most popular and lucrative crimes among California walnut orchards.

Black walnut trees are being carved up for the prized wood found at the base of trunks and in the roots of old trees. The thefts are a major irritant to walnut growers and investigators who admit that the problem is getting worse.

The large knot-like growths--called burls--are used to make furniture and rifle stocks as well as dashboards and gearshift knobs for expensive foreign cars.

It is not hard to understand why the wood is so popular with thieves. A raw burl can sell for $5,000 or more in California and as much as $30,000 in Italy on the rare woods market.

“Why steal a VCR for $200 when you can make a quick $1,500 with stolen wood?” asked Bill Harper, a detective for the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department.

Thefts are on the rise in Stanislaus, Merced and San Joaquin counties, where four to six tree thefts are reported each week. In the past year, several hundred growers in the northern San Joaquin Valley have found their walnut trees destroyed by thieves.

Catching the suspects is one thing, but prosecuting them is another.

It is nearly impossible to match a stolen burl to a tree. Suspects usually plead guilty to a misdemeanor theft charge and then go right back into the business of tree stealing, Harper said.

Mike Henry, manager of the San Joaquin County Farm Bureau, said he hopes that a proposed ordinance requiring a permit for hauling one or more trees will stop some of the thefts.