Date:
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Contact:
Bob Barnes, WSDOT Landscape Architect, (360) 357-2733
Jamie Swift, WSDOT Communications, (360) 357-2703
An increase this summer in illegal tree cutting on state-owned land adjacent to U.S. 101 has prompted WSDOT to take aggressive legal action against suspected offenders.
More than 25 mature trees on state right of way along U.S. 101 in Thurston, Jefferson and Mason counties were cut down or topped in July, August and September. The loss to public property is estimated at over $200,000 from environmental and aesthetic damage, in addition to the value of the timber.
“It’s not just the timber value,” said Don Clotfelter, WSDOT maintenance manager for the Olympic region. “Many people drive that highway specifically because of its beauty.”
In one of the three cases, trees were cut along the Hood Canal shoreline, negatively impacting fish habitat.
Under state law, WSDOT is the steward of the highway system and right-of-way property, including roadside native vegetation and trees. Anyone who desires to cut down or alter a tree on state-owned property needs to make a request for a permit.
Permission will only be granted if there are compelling reasons to cut, such as the tree poses a danger to life or property. The state does not consider improvement of a residential view to be a compelling reason.
“Contact us, as you would any neighbor before you cut or remove timber,” Clotfelter said. "By law we must react firmly, including fines for triple the assessed damage amount.”
“You just can’t go and remove other people’s trees, particularly when they’re on publicly-owned property,” Clotfelter said.
For more information, please contact WSDOT landscape architect Bob Barnes at 360-357-2733.
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