Growing Concerns With Poaching
There is a growing concern with domestic poaching burl in the USA burling industry and a growing awareness of poaching. If you are a crafter or a company who purchases burl You (and I include myself in this) must do your homework on the people who bring you burl to buy. Many believe it is easy and untraceable cash. Not here at Oregon Burls!
For those who are harvesters: Look there is a right way to acquire burls and a wrong way. If you don't have permission to take the burl and you don't own the property and you decide to harvest the burl you are a poacher.
There are too many burls out there where you can harvest legally. It just takes leg work and integrity.
To the Buyers of burls: I ask all companies who purchase burls to verify and vet the people who sell you burls. Being the CEO of OregonBurls.com I have a vetting process that is not perfect but I believe it works well. I will have a PDF if what I have all my harvesters sign so I have a record of who they are and guide lines to follow. Now Oregon Burls cannot go out there with me and hold their hand but if they let me have a copy of their ID and sign an agreement you weed some of the not reputable ones out. It doesn't take all of them out. Some will do it no matter what. Soget to know your harvesters. There has to be a trust relationship built. When new ones come around vet them. Read over the agreement get a copy of their ID have them sign an agreement with good standard of how where and when you can harvest. (Read my agreement to see the particulars)
You don't have to use mine. Right your own but let's get an industry standard going and a campaign not to purchase poached burls. If we don't as an industry purchase poached burls there would be no reason to harvest them.
Raise the bar! Hold the standard and lets together stop poaching.
Greg