Christmas Tree Harvesting On The Tandy Hills & Other Barbaric Customs

Last year around this time, on Facebook, I read about Christmas tree harvesting taking place in the area of the Tandy Hills.

I blogged about this partial clearcutting in a blogging titled Godfather Don Young Leads Three Generations Harvesting Christmas Trees From Fort Worth's Tandy Hills Nature Preserve.

Don Young then explained that he did not purloin the Tandy Hills Natural Area for a natural Christmas tree. I blogged this explanation in a blogging titled Don Young Clears Up The Controversy Over His Tandy Hills Christmas Tree Cutting.

Then today an incoming comment came in from someone named Anonymous, regarding what Anonymous calls Don Young's Christmas Tree Caper....

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Biking Gateway Park Freshly Amused By Trinity River Vision Boondoggle Propaganda": 

While speaking of JD Granger and focusing upon his MAGIC TREES, you've been diverted from a MAGICAL OPPORTUNITY! It's time for Don Young's Christmas Tree Caper! Please make sure you check the surveillance footage at Tandy Hills Park. Once again, he'll cut down a tree from Tandy Hills Park, or worse yet from the land adjacent which is owned by Chesapeake and further up by Channel 5! Please REPORT on this event!

I have not been on the Tandy Hills for a few days. When I was last on the hills I made note of the fact that most of the foliage has left the trees, except for the evergreens, like Christmas Trees, making the Christmas Trees really easy to spot.

Due to my extremely strong beliefs, regarding what is right and what is wrong, regarding how one celebrates Christmas, I do not install a pagan symbol in my abode in the form of a murdered tree.

I think killing a perfectly innocent tree for such purposes it totally barbarian.

And those Christmas Tree Farms, where the trees are grown in tight quarters, fertilized to look ultra green and full of boughs, then sliced off, one by one, at ground level, ending up in the house of a human, where the tree becomes a fire hazard, eventually tossed into the garbage or set to flame in the backyard.

Like I said. Barbaric.

A Pleasant New Year's Eve Hunt For Next Year's Christmas Tree On The Tandy Hills

I Found Next Year's Xmas Tree Today On
The Tandy Hills

Today was the first time I've been back on the Tandy Hills since the news broke about the Godfather Don Gang's Tandy Hills Christmas Tree Caper.

I'd not paid any attention to the Tandy Hills Christmas tree crop, til today. I was surprised how many good Christmas tree candidates there are invading the natural prairie.

When the news of the Tandy Hills Christmas Tree Caper broke, one person suggested that it might be a good idea to sell the trees to locals. Godfather Don could mark the trees suitable for harvesting and oversee their logging.

I bet you could get $50 per tree, or more. The funds raised could go to Natural Area improvements, and planting more invasive Christmas tree species, so there are plenty to harvest each year.

I don't know if it is still done, because it sort of competes with all the Pacific Northwest Christmas Tree Farms, but back when I lived in Washington you could get a Christmas tree cutting permit from the National Park Service. Specific areas on National Forest land, in the Cascades, would be designated for Christmas tree harvesting.

It was a lot of fun going Christmas Tree Hunting in the mountains. Usually snow was part of the fun. Going Christmas Tree Hunting on the Tandy Hills would be a very poor substitute, but it's still better than no place to go Christmas Tree Hunting.

The last day of the year is being a beauty. Hiking the hills today was so good.

We are currently being heated to 72 degrees in the outer world at my location on the planet.

Don Young Clears Up The Controversy Over His Tandy Hills Christmas Tree Cutting

Don Young & His Christmas Tree Cutters Dragging
A Tree Across Non-Tandy Hills Natural Area Prairie

The missing Don Young feedback regarding Christmas tree harvesting on the Tandy Hills has been found....

Don Young has left a new comment on your post "Godfather Don Young Leads Three Generations Harvesting Christmas Trees From Fort Worth's Tandy Hills Nature Preserve":

FYI--Nowhere in my FB post do I say the tree came from Tandy Hills Natural Area. In fact, it came from private property adjacent to the park. Short-lived trees like Junipers, Ash and Privet are the main plants that are taking over the grasslands. During Brush Bash we remove many of them but we never remove Oaks, Elms or other long life trees and certainly not Yucca or any other native non-woody species. The guy on FB doesn't want ANYTHING removed but experts agree that unless we remove the trash trees there will be no prairie left at Tandy Hills. 

Well.

I don't think anyone could be faulted for assuming this controversial Christmas tree was cut from the Tandy Hills Natural Area, since the news of its cutting was on the Tandy Hills Natural Area Facebook page.

Along with a pair of photos which appeared to show a Christmas tree being drug across an open prairie zone of the Tandy Hills.

Who owns this private land adjacent to the Tandy Hills Natural Area from whence this Christmas tree was allegedly cut? Was permission to cut a tree asked of the owner before the Young Gang arrived with their axes?

Next time I'm on the Tandy Hills I'll try and follow the trail of the dragged tree to see if I can document where it was killed.

Or not.