Illegal Baskets Stopped At Border

U.S. authorities in International Falls have stopped a shipment of baskets, they say had the potential to do harm to the country's forest.

The baskets, originating from China, were being railed through Canada to the U.S. when they reached the Falls rail facility for inspection.

Officials says the baskets were made out of a type of willow that's prohibited in many countries because of its risk of spreading watermark disease and being a potential host to several wood-boring pests.

Almost 8-thousand baskets were seized and destroyed.