Why tourists are flying across the world to commit bizarre crime in California forests
A group of 11 tourists from the United Kingdom traveled across the globe to climb the tallest tree and allegedly committed a crime while they did so.
In May 2022, a group of men with the Canopy Climbing Collective, a social tree-climbing club, scaled the top of Hyperion, a 380-foot tree in Redwoods National Park.
Simeon Balsam, the then-'leader' of the group and man behind the camera filming his buddies' controversial hobby, documented the alleged illegal act in an hour-long YouTube video that was made 'to inspire and ignite love for the mighty old growth forests of California.'
It was later found that the tree climbing group did not obtain required permits to ascend the massive tree located in an ecologically sensitive habitat, according to park officials and court documents, obtained by SFGATE.
Simeon told DailyMail.com: 'Unfortunately I'm not willing to speak about the climb, apart from I'm no longer a filmer for the group and have moved on to more meaningful projects.'
In May 2022, a group of men with the Canopy Climbing Collective, a social tree-climbing club, scaled the top of Hyperion, a 380-foot tree in Redwoods National Park. (Pictured: Redwoods National Park)
Simeon Balsam (pictured), the 'leader' of the group and man behind the camera filming his buddies' controversial hobby, documented the alleged illegal act in an hour-long YouTube video
The group allegedly climbed during the breeding season of marbled murrelets, an endangered bird species that rely on the redwoods to nest and store their young.
The club has also been accused of climbing six redwood trees in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, and ziplining over a river bed, the outlet reported.
Balsam was issued a citation for 'plant disturbance — climbing in redwoods,' while the group's local guide, Michael Oxman, was issued a misdemeanor citation from a State Parks officer for 'endangering the safety of persons, property, resources,' according to State Parks records.
Balsam's citation required him to pay $130, but he has yet to do so, the Central Violations Bureau told the outlet.
'People want to climb the biggest trees out there. You’ll never stop people from wanting to venture into these canopies,' Balsam told SFGATE.
"I have certain mixed emotions on decisions I made a few years back not being properly informed,' he added.
After watching Balsam's film, which amassed more than 58,000 views, Redwood National Park Deputy Superintendent Leonel Arguello was left terrified.
'It’s really shocking and unfortunate that they don’t understand the impact that they’re having,' he said.
Arguello said that Balsam and his crew's antics were 'the straw that broke the camel’s back,' as park officials now have to determine if they should close the area around Hyperion to visitors.
It was later found that the tree climbing group did not obtain required permits to ascend the massive tree located in an ecologically sensitive habitat. (Pictured: A member of the group climbing the tree)
Simeon (pictured in the tree) told DailyMail.com: 'Unfortunately I'm not willing to speak about the climb, apart from I'm no longer a filmer for the group and have moved on to more meaningful projects'
Balsam and his crew are members of LC Tree Care which is made up of a 'team of professional tree surgeons' that take care of trees in commercial and home gardens in the Hertfordshire area, according to the website.
Also known as 'tree poachers' or arborists, groups like this one have, in recent years, used their skills and equipment for recreational climbs.
The group of male climbers are not the only ones to embark on a climb in the sacred Redwoods, officials told SFGATE.
Stephen Troy, a National Park chief ranger, told the outlet that arborists have left trash and gear behind and damaged the trees in the process.
Officials have since tried to get ahead of the criminal acts by enforcing new restrictions and violations, including a $5,000 fine and six months in jail for those that break the rules.
In 2010, a traveler from the Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum at the University of Oxford acquired a permit to collect seeds in the ancient forest.
In addition to collecting seeds, the man decided to climb Hyperion, posting videos of his illegal activity online.
'That’s when I first realized there was going to be a problem,' Arguello told SFGATE.
Although legal action was not taken against the man who traveled back to the UK, officials did ban him from the parks and informed the Oxford Botanic Gardens and Arboretum of what happened, Arguello said.
After that incident, the parks stopped giving permits to seed collectors from that organization.
Balsam (middle) was issued a citation for 'plant disturbance — climbing in redwoods.' Balsam's citation required him to pay $130, but he has yet to do so, according to the Central Violations Bureau
The parks, located in Humboldt (pictured) and Del Norte counties, are not just known to house the tallest trees on earth but also the oldest
Tim Kovar, who runs the world’s only legal redwood climbing operation, offers one redwood climb for nine days every year.
As his fame grew, Kovar started to get bombarded with calls and emails about people interested in climbing the redwoods.
'It got to the point where we would see ‘"redwood climbing" in the subject line and just go "delete, delete, delete,"' Kovar said.
'We didn’t want to promote climbing redwood trees, because of the delicate situation out there.'
The Redwood National and State Parks are composed of three California state parks - Redwood National Park, Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park.
The parks, located in Humboldt and Del Norte counties, are not just known to house the tallest trees on earth but also the oldest.
The forest initially spanned across more than two million acres of land in the Golden State.
DailyMail.com contacted the National Park Service for comment.
