July 13, 2023 |
Photo – Saratoga Forest Management – Courtesy Saratoga Forest Management
Public access has been cut off to the portion of Saratoga Forest Lumber where free firewood has been available to the public in the past. The mill owner says the supply of free firewood will be cut off permanently if people continue to dump garbage by his woodpiles.
As a courtesy, Saratoga Forest Management offers cast off wood for free. Some people drive hundreds of miles to take advantage of the offer. The wood is available in large piles east of the mill, by the Saratoga cemetery. Many people rely on the free wood to heat their homes during the winter.
Sources told Bigfoot99 that the mill was planning to cut back on the amount of free wood offered. Saratoga Forest Management owner Gary Ervin said he will be sending more scrap wood to another mill he owns in Colorado. Ervin said he would continue to offer free wood. However, the mill owner said he has found trash by the woodpiles. Ervin said he has restricted vehicle access to the piles until people stop dumping on his property.
Ervin said he placed a log across the entrance to the woodpiles to deter people from dumping more trash there. The mill owner said he’s still finding garbage on his land.
With more scrap wood going to his mill in Colorado, Ervin said the woodpiles may get smaller. The mill owner said he’ll keep the piles stocked unless people continue to litter at the site.
The woodpiles are two miles from the Saratoga landfill. Ervin said he was serious about cutting off the free wood. By dumping at the mill, someone is close to ruining a good thing for the entire area.
