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Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

Babbitt man faces charges for theft of spruce tops

Catie Clark
Posted 11/14/24

BABBITT—Blake Robert Buschman, age 37, has been charged with the felony theft an estimated 5,250 spruce tops from bogs between Babbitt and Embarrass in September and October. DNR Conservation …

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Babbitt man faces charges for theft of spruce tops

Posted

BABBITT—Blake Robert Buschman, age 37, has been charged with the felony theft an estimated 5,250 spruce tops from bogs between Babbitt and Embarrass in September and October.
DNR Conservation Officer Anthony Bermel seized around 1,300 spruce tops from Buschman on Oct. 28 after staking out a location where Buschman was allegedly harvesting tops from trees on both private and state property.
According to the statement of probable cause, filed on Nov. 1, the Babbitt Police Department alerted Bermel on Oct. 25 of suspicious activity by Buschman along County Rd. 21 in the Waasa area. Upon inspection on Oct. 27, Bermel found signs of spruce top harvesting and he conducted a stake out at the site the following day.
That’s when Bermel witnessed Buschman actively bundling spruce tops on private and adjacent public land. Buschman told Bermel he had permission from the private landowner, who does not live in the area. Bermel contacted the landowner, who indicated Buschman “had asked permission about two to three years ago if he could cut spruce tops and was told ‘no.’” The private landowner also said that the only other party to have a key to the locked gate onto his property was the St. Louis County Land Department.
Bermel told the Timberjay that a county forester inspected the area in question on Oct. 30, finding about 3.5 acres of fresh-cut spruce. In total, that included about 1,350 tops from the private landowner’s property and 3,900 tops cut from adjacent county land. Subsequent investigation by Bermel revealed that Buschman had sold 3,410 spruce tops to a buyer from Floodwood.
Bermel acknowledged “a lot of good help” from the Babbitt Police Department and the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office in the case.
Repeat offender
Buschman’s most recent encounter with CO Bermel is not a first for either of them. “I’ve run into Buschman cutting spruce tops for several years now.” Bermel said. “He’s a habitual offender with no regard for property ownership.”
Buschman’s record with the Minnesota courts lists 25 different convictions dating back to 2006, and includes three felony drug convictions, one felony for receiving stolen property, and one felony for car theft in Ely.
Buschman’s most recent encounter is the first time he has been charged with felony theft of spruce tops. He has been convicted multiple times of offenses related to spruce top harvesting going back to 2019. Bermel was involved with all of Buschman’s spruce top convictions and was the arresting officer for most of them.
Buschman was charged four times for spruce top-related offenses between Sept.1 and Nov. 1, 2023, resulting in two gross misdemeanor convictions for trespass and damage of property, one gross misdemeanor conviction for theft, three misdemeanor convictions for failing to obtain and carry permission to harvest, and seven misdemeanor convictions for falsifying permission to harvest and sell. Bermel confiscated over 1,500 illegally harvested spruce tops from Buschman and documented the illegal sale of 5,620 spruce tops by him in 2023.
Buschman was convicted of three misdemeanor spruce top-related offenses in 2021 and one in 2019. He was charged with a spruce top-related offense in 2020 which was dismissed in a plea bargain arrangement.
Black market
Minnesota law states that if a spruce top harvester is going to collect more than 50 spruce tops, 50 birch poles, or 100 pounds of decorative boughs, the harvester must have written permission from the property owner or from the agency that manages that property. That permission must be with them for inspection while they are cutting and collecting.
“People use spruce tops for holiday decorative arrangements,” Bermel explained. “There is a legitimate market for them and people bid on permits to cut spruce tops to sell. It’s a large market and that encourages some to illegally cut them, so there is a lot of spruce top theft.”
Bermel encouraged the public to report suspicious activity, which could include people going in and out of black spruce bogs, hauling greenery. He said this is the time of year that spruce top thieves are most active. “Call it in, especially at night,” Bermel said.
The public can call in suspicious spruce top harvesting activity to local law enforcement, with the Minnesota “Turn In Poachers” hotline at 800-652-9093, or dial #TIP (#847) on a cell phone. DNR also has a smart phone called “MNtip” which automates the tip process.