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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Grants Pass eyes urban renewal projects ... (No heading) ... Mushroom poachers busted at Crater Lake ... Grants Pass eyes urban renewal projects ... (No heading) ... Mushroom poachers busted at Crater Lake ... POACHING Mushroom poachers busted at Crater Lake Morels are popping out after last year's forest fires in and around the park Comment By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Follow @@MTwriterFreeman MailTribune.com By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Follow @@MTwriterFreeman Posted Jul. 11, 2016 at 3:26 PM Updated Jul 11, 2016 at 4:46 PM By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Follow @@MTwriterFreeman Posted Jul. 11, 2016 at 3:26 PM Updated Jul 11, 2016 at 4:46 PM » Social News National Park Service rangers are going after people poaching morel mushrooms now popping up all over the site of last summer's National Creek Complex fire, confiscating mushrooms and citing pickers who rangers say are threatening the post-fire ecosystem there. Park rangers have cited more than a dozen recreational and commercial pickers, and rangers seized more than 234 pounds of morels with a market value of nearly $8,000 over the July 4 weekend alone, according to the park service. "We confiscated more this morning," Chief Ranger Kean Mihata says. "Another group we got just before they started out. These morels are really popping up in the burn area." Those whose morels were confiscated were cited for illegal collection of natural product, a federal misdemeanor, Mihata says. Violators can either mail in $130 in bail and fees or appear in U.S. District Court in Medford to contest it. However, violators can be prosecuted and face potential fines of up to $5,000 in jail and a maximum six months in jail, according to the park service. It is illegal to gather mushrooms on park service land, and many of the pickers held permits to pick on adjacent Forest Service lands also burned by the nearly 21,000-acre fire area, Mihata says. Those permits specifically state that mushroom picking is illegal on park service land, but some of the offending pickers weren't paying good attention to park boundaries, Mihata says. Most of the illegal pickers were in small groups, and most were just off the roadway near the park's west entrance, Mihata says. Park rangers were aided by Oregon State Police and Douglas County sheriff's deputies in surveillance of pickers, but only park rangers can cite violators on parkland, he says. Morels are known to be bountiful after forest fires sweep through. Park service officials say mushrooms are critical components to forest ecosystems as a food source and as a natural aid in the recovery of lands disturbed by wildfire. The lightning-caused National Creek Complex fire was the largest fire in the park's recorded history. Reach Mail Tribune reporter Mark Freeman at 541-776-4470 or [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MTwriterFreeman . By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Follow @@MTwriterFreeman MailTribune.com By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Follow @@MTwriterFreeman Posted Jul. 11, 2016 at 3:26 PM Updated Jul 11, 2016 at 4:46 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501