Wood theft is increasing
Thieves make big gains in German forests
December 24, 2023, 10:44 a.m
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Heating with wood, which is extremely harmful to the environment, is still practiced by millions in this country. The raw material is also still important as a building material. But wood has also become expensive. Several federal states are reporting a significant increase in thefts.
Heating, building, storing – wood has become increasingly important as a raw material. The increased demand has recently attracted many thieves – significantly more than in previous years. According to the respective state criminal investigation offices (LKA), the number of wood thefts has increased in Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, Berlin, Bavaria, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saxony-Anhalt and Brandenburg. In many federal states, cases of stolen tree trunks, felled trees or sawn timber have even doubled.
The largest increase was recorded in Rhineland-Palatinate: According to the LKA, there had been 118 corresponding criminal complaints by the end of November – in 2018 there were a total of 18 crimes. The reason for the increase in the number of cases could be the higher expenditure on energy, it was said from Rhineland-Palatinate. “For fear of a gas shortage in winter and to save money, more people are turning to wood for heating.”
In Baden-Württemberg, the damage is already higher than the total damage of last year, the State Criminal Police Office (LKA) said when asked at the end of November. The damage last year amounted to around 345,000 euros.
According to Julia Möbus, Managing Director of the German Sawmill and Wood Industry Association, the renewable raw material is becoming increasingly important as a building material, a replacement for fossil products and a renewable energy source. “In view of the extraordinary market situation last year, sales opportunities for stolen logs have apparently opened up in Germany, which has led to an increase in wood thefts in the forest.”
Modern technology can help
There were also significantly more cases in Berlin – theft from construction sites was reported to be the most common. Saxony is an exception: the number of thefts there has decreased. There was no information about the thefts from several federal states.
For many forest owners, the theft of wood not only means trouble but also an economic loss. “The state forest administrations usually simply write off these losses,” explained Maurice Strunk, managing director of the network of forestry companies and forestry technology. “Private forests usually consist of forest owners with only a few hectares of forest. If their wood is simply stolen as a result of decades of forest management, then in case of doubt they will lose all of their forest income for 20 years or more.”
The association calls for greater use of digitalization to prevent theft. With modern forestry machines, the number of logs produced can be made available to the forest owner almost in real time, says Strunk. That would leave thieves little chance. But other technology also helps. “In order to prevent thefts, forestry authorities or private individuals repeatedly use GPS transmitters hidden in the wood,” said the LKA in Hesse. The LKA Berlin recommended a lockable wooden shed for private households.