Redwood poaching closes Calif. park
By Lydia O’Connor, Huffington Post
It ain’t easy being beautiful — just ask a California redwood tree.
Prized for their beauty, age and size, California’s precious redwood trees have increasingly become the victims of poachers eyeing them for easy profit, forcing park officials to close the gates.
In a press release announcing the nighttime closure of Newton B. Drury Parkway, a scenic route through a redwood forest in Northern California, the National Park Service explained that an alarming increase in wood poaching raids has demanded extra protection for the state’s treasured trees, forcing the service to limit visitor access.