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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 Pair charged in rural drug raid outside Jacksonville ... High-speed driver charged in death ... Rogue Disposal wants to increase garbage rates by 12 percent ... Pair charged in rural drug raid outside Jacksonville ... High-speed driver charged in death ... Rogue Disposal wants to increase garbage rates by 12 percent ... SINCE YOU ASKED Since You Asked: Crater Lake morels kept as evidence in case of trials Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jul. 13, 2016 at 12:01 AM Posted Jul. 13, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News Reading Tuesday's article about Crater Lake National Park rangers seizing 234 pounds of morel mushrooms from illegal pickers over the July 4th weekend had me wondering what in the world the rangers are going to do with all those mushrooms. It's a shame to leave them to waste. Can't they at least donate them to a food pantry or something like the Oregon State Police sometimes do with meat from poached deer? — K.N., Medford Seeing all those confiscated morels heaped in a pile by park rangers had us at Since You Asked Central reaching for the butter and skillet, K.N. But those morels aren't going anywhere. Like seized guns or drugs, those morels are evidence and are filling the cold-storage area of the park's evidence locker awaiting adjudication of more than a dozen citations issued to accused morel poachers, says Kean Mihata, the park's chief ranger. "We treat those mushrooms we seized as evidence, just like we do in every other case," Mihata says. Some of the citations have court dates as early as July 22 and others as late as Sept. 16, Mihata says. It's possible that the mushrooms will deteriorate by the last court dates, and if that happens, they must be destroyed, Mihata says. But their destruction won't spoil their cases, Mihata says. Each of the morel caches seized from suspects were individually identified, weighed and photographed should the cases go to trial, he says. Taking items such as morels from National Park Service land is illegal, and those caught with mushrooms recently were cited into U.S. District Court in Medford for illegal collection of natural products, according to the park service. Individuals can mail in $130 to cover the citation and court fees, or they can appear in court and contest the charge, Mihata says. Illegal collecting of mushrooms has been a problem of late at Crater Lake National Park within the nearly 21,000 acres of park service and Forest Service land burned last summer in the lightning-ignited National Creek Complex fires. Morels thrive in post-burn forest lands, where they also perform a vital role as forage for native fauna and help native plants recover, according to the park service. Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected] . To see a collection of columns, go to mailtribune.com/youasked . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jul. 13, 2016 at 12:01 AM » 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