The Maine Forest Service, in cooperation with loggers, landowners and industry consultants, has compiled a list of best practices that can be used to prevent logging vandalism and theft in Maine.

Set up a multi-layered system to deter and prevent theft and vandalism.

1. Use portable gates. Most thieves are opportunists who hope to expend minimal effort to steal from you. As such, a portable gate set up at the entrance to your job is effort well spent. The further from your assets, the better. Nothing will frustrate a thief more than being beyond walking and carrying distance from your equipment. Most portable gates currently in use in Maine are concrete waste blocks with metal gate arms and are set in place with a logging crane.

2. Game cameras. We recommend multiple game cameras be used at your job site. In fact, the more the better. It is our experience that thieves may steal your tools and fuel, but also may target your cameras. But with multiple cameras deployed, the chance of apprehension increases significantly. And many new game cameras are cell phone enabled, allowing for an instant sending of the images to your smartphone or  computer. You can even have them sent to a  forest ranger as well.

3. Train your employees on a job site security plan. This effort will help employees to work collaboratively to make your job site theft adverse. Consider a daily checklist which will help guide employees in the steps to help theft and vandalism prevention. This security plan should also include training on what employees should do if they discover a theft on the job site.

4. Lock your equipment. We encourage the locking of all equipment cabs, toolboxes and fuel ports so that it is much more difficult for a thief to access your property. Remember, most thieves are opportunists who are seeking the path of least resistance. Don’t make it easy for them. Also, consider parking equipment in the woods rather than having it all parked in one group location. This will reduce the opportunity for a thief to hit multiple pieces in a short amount of time. Again, it is about making life more difficult for the thief.   5. Remove fuel. For fuel theft prevention, consider removing fuel trailers over the weekend or during extended absences from the job site. Also, consider antisiphoning devices (screens) on fuel ports. And be sure to keep a daily fuel log for each piece of equipment on the site. This will let you know if you have been victimized.

6. Use solar or battery powered, motion sensing lights. Imagine the fear that a thief will experience if they enter your job site and a set, or multiple sets, of lights come on! Most will be scared and run off. By using simple motion sensing lights which can be purchased for less than $50 at a home improvement store, then attaching them to a standalone battery or a machine’s battery system, you will be enhancing your job site security for a very small investment.

7. Communicate. If you find yourself working in an area that has a history of logging vandalism or theft, we suggest speaking with your forest ranger contacts and even neighbors who might help you keep an eye on things. The neighborhood watch concept has been very successful in deterring crime across the country. It can work for your logging job as well. When you reach out to a forest ranger asking for extra patrols, you can be assured that we will act on this request.

To report logging vandalism or theft, call Maine Forest Rangers at
(207) 973-3700 (Bangor), (207) 624-7076 (Augusta) or (207) 532-5400 (Houlton)