JEFFERSON COUNTY, Wash. — Two men were arrested Friday in Jefferson County for destroying the cedar base of a bridge on Department of Natural Resources-managed land.
A pair of hunters were out in DNR’s Clearwater block in Jefferson County when they heard chainsaws, so they reached out to DNR. Officer Allen Nelson, who was already in the area, discovered two people cutting chunks out of the massive cedar logs that form the base of a bridge.
The two men were arrested and booked into Jefferson County Jail on felony charges and their vehicle and equipment held as evidence.
The clear cedar chunks were likely to be sold on the black market for mill owners to turn them into shake and shingles.
This happened behind what had been a locked gate, but the lock was broken off. DNR staff say they will now have to reinspect the bridge to ensure that it remains safe.