Three Mount Gambier men will appear in court after they were allegedly caught stealing firewood at Tantanoola.

About 1.38pm on Sunday park rangers heard chainsaws operating in the Mount Watch Native Forest Reserve.

Police were called and attended, locating three people who had allegedly felled redgum trees and were in the process of chopping them up for firewood.

The three men aged 55, 54 and 33 were subsequently reported for theft of wood, damaging native vegetation and being in possession of chainsaws in a native forest reserve.

Police seized three chainsaws and the cut wood was returned to Forestry SA.

The men will be issued with summonses to attend court at a later date and may still be subject to further legal action under Forestry SA legislation.

Police wish to remind members of the public that taking wood from native forest reserves and Forestry SA plantations is illegal.

Offenders may be reported or arrested, which may result in hefty fines and court appearances.

The reports relate to a crackdown on the illegal harvesting of redgum for firewood under Operation Red Gum, a joint operation between PIRSA, SAPOL and the forestry industry.