• Darkassassin07@lemmy.ca
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    2 days ago

    For anyone else not sure what they’re looking at…

    Tree Spiking

    Tree spiking can be an extremely effective method of deterring timber sales, and seems to be growing more and more popular. Mill operators are quite wary of accepting timber that may be contaminated with hidden metal objects, — saws are expensive, and a “spiked” log can literally bring operations to a screeching halt, at least until a new blade can be put into service. The Forest Service and timber industry are very nervous about spiking — when they or the media raise the subject of monkeywrenching, this is the form most commonly discussed. Agency and industry officials are loath, however, to raise the subject. Indeed, the Forest Service (FS) often fails to publicize incidents of spiking, on the theory that the less the practice is publicized, the less likely it is to spread. When the Freddies (FS officials) do publicly acknowledge that a spiking has occurred, they often make a considerable effort to find the perpetrators, even to the point of offering substantial cash rewards. (No modern-day tree spiker has been caught, however.)

  • BaraCoded@literature.cafe
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    2 days ago

    For a moment, I wonder if it was a method to eliminate vampire trees.

    The real explanation is actually much better.

  • Phoenixz@lemmy.ca
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    2 days ago

    I’ve seen a video showing what happens when a band saw hits a spike.

    Don’t be near that, you will be sliced and diced

  • TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    Don’t forget the supply chain and logistical support required to keep people able to…lets call it “Living their best lives”…

    Lets just say that when people are going to be “Living their best lives” in the woods, often for weeks and months at a time, they don’t have time to work for money, they don’t have ready access to grocery stores or free stores. They need resources in terms of food, camping supplies, medical supply, boots, rain gear, and recreation and mental health. They also need rotation in that you really don’t want people “Living their best lives” indefinitely, you’re friends need time away from the work. No matter what they claim, they need time NOT “Living their best lives” to be most effective at “Living their best lives”.

    This means you need a multiple crews of 3-4 individuals that can rotate through 1-3 week intervals of “Living their best lives”. Don’t try and sustain campaigns “just for the sake of it”. Most of the work of “Living their best lives” isn’t actually out there in the woods “Living their best lives”, its the support network required to those small groups sustained.

    There is a great book about “Living their best lives” called The Last Stand, which goes into some loose detail about the timber wars of the 1980’s. It doesn’t cover the gory bits, but if you got a chance to visit the Emerald Triangle in the late 90’s, some of this work was still ongoing (even though it never made it to the news), and many of the surviving old timers were still around to be learned from.

    • CultLeader4Hire@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      It’s possible you could introduce infection or pests sure but the only part of a tree that “really matters” is the membrane between the bark and the wood inside. As long as the bark is intact all the way around the tree it should be ok. The spike itself would likely not be the issue if the tree died but some contamination introduced by it. Trees grow around things, including metal things all the time

      • lurch (he/him)@sh.itjust.works
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        2 days ago

        That’s true, but problem is, if they suspect this and use a metal detector and log 100 other trees instead and then 20 die extra because of the nail, then this backfired.

        If it’s a specific tree you want to safe tho, it’s not a problem, because it would die either way. You’d just give it a chance.

        • stray@pawb.social
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          2 days ago

          You can use non-metallic substances also, so that metal detectors don’t pick them up.

          Spiking also won’t save the tree. The idea is that it will still be chopped down, but the device in its body will destroy expensive mill equipment.

  • MinnesotaGoddam@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    they often make a considerable effort to find the perpetrators

    I got logger family. If you want to protest logging, there are ways to do it that doesn’t kill loggers. Spiking can kill loggers.

    • A404@lemmy.dbzer0.comOP
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      2 days ago

      The second philosophy of tree spiking is to place the spikes in the trees well above the area where the fellers will operate — as many feet up the trunk as one can conveniently work. The object of the spiking in this case is to destroy the blades in the sawmill. Since in large mills the blades are either operated from a control booth some distance from the actual cutting, or are protected by a Plexiglas shield, this method is unlikely to cause anyone physical injury even should a blade shatter upon striking a spike, which is unlikely.

    • deft@lemmy.wtf
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      2 days ago

      Damn. It’s one of those tough things where we definitely need to protect the trees, we also need loggers to cut them down.

      Honestly while this method of tree spiking probably works on large scale to halt or slow production. It makes me think population control and education about safe sex practices would be the better solution