Waterlogging

[FirTree@aol.com]

In a message dated 96-09-08 22:59:35 EDT, you write:

<< Did  you hear on NPR about a venture to raise thousands of logs
 from the bottom of (I think) Lake Michigan?  Apparently left over
 from the logging days there are all these prime oak, sugar maple
 and other species lying on the bottom in great shape. The owner
 plans to mill it and sell it to woodworkers and the like.  Too bad
 there problably won't be much spruce. Brent


 Brent.Fischer@ASU.EDU
 Arizona State University/Tempe

 *****************

 Brent,

 I didn't hear the NPR coverage but have a friend who is a cabinet maker who
 knows one of the partners of the venture.  My friend told me the story some
 time ago so I'm not sure I have it straight.  It seems that the logs are in
 Bayfield Bay in Wisconsin on the south shore of Lake Superior.  They floated

 the old growth logs on the lake to a sawmill in Bayfield and a certain
number
 of them sank in transit.  I heard that the are well preserved due to the
cold
 temperature and lack of oxygen in the water (everyone around here knows Lake

 Superior as the lake that doesn't give up its dead).  It seems that they had

 raised a few hundred logs with air bladders but had no idea how many logs
 there are (maybe 100k or more of many species).  I've asked my friend to
 inquire about an update and will post any interesting info.

 Bob Hohf
 Wisconsin
  >>

I believe a similar situation happened in Lake Washington near Seattle. These
were old growth, I don't recall if they were fir, spruce or pine. Many trees
were raised and sold. The guy who did the 'salvage' logging didn't check out
all of the legal ramifications, and was convicted of theft from the state
forest, or somesuch. I vaguely remember a large fine and prison.

Dave Stocker, RPT
firtree@aol.com