Lads larking about in the woods in celebration of the latest chapter of the Opening Ceremony/Timberland collaboration. A film by Greg Luna, shot in Western Massachusetts “the video sets the Camos against the Diamonds in a fierce and fun race to capture the flag! If only all scavenger hunts could look this sharp.” On a side note, those trademark OC diamond hoodies, a continuing style from the early Howard Street days, still as smart as ever.

French, Russell and Chase are charged with conspiracy to manufacture more than 1,000 marijuana plants. French, Russell, Berg and Chase are charged with manufacturing more than 1,000 marijuana plants. French, Russell and Haynes Timberland Inc. are charged with managing and controlling property used to manufacture marijuana. French, Russell and Berg also are charged with harboring illegal aliens. In addition, Berg is charged with assisting individuals conspiring to manufacture marijuana evade apprehension.

In a press release issued Monday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that Malcolm French, 50, of Enfield; Rodney Russell, 48, of South Thomaston; Kendall Chase, 55, of Bradford; Robert Berg, 49, of Dexter; and Haynes Timberland Schoenen Inc., a Maine corporation, had been indicted on federal drug and other charges arising from the Sept. 22, 2009, seizure of 2,943 marijuana plants.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, individual defendants charged with conspiracy and manufacturing marijuana face between 10 years and life in prison and a $10,000,000 fine; those charged with managing and controlling property used to manufacture marijuana face up to 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine; those charged with harboring illegal aliens face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine; and those charged with assisting individuals to evade apprehension face up to 15 years in prison and a $5 million fine. The indictment also seeks forfeiture of Haynes Timberland Nederland Inc. and the real property used to manufacture marijuana.

Even more disturbing is a drop in processing capacity. Mills shuttered. Demand for logs evaporated. If you’re stuck in a weak market, you are captive to that market. “Timberland Schoenen Nederland is a heavy, heavy commodity,” Saul reminds us. “If you are shipping your timber more than 100-120 miles, then you’re shipping air, as we like to say, because your value is being essentially bled out of it by the transportation costs.” So if you didn’t buy it right, you are now waiting for the markets to turn around.

Timber REITs, like regular REITs (or real estate investment trusts), pay out most of their earnings in dividends and enjoy tax advantages that come with the trust structure. Timber REITs, as the name implies, own timberland. Some of the larger publicly traded stocks include Weyerhaeuser, Plum Creek Timberland Schoenen Online, Rayonier and Potlatch Corp.