Man Pleads to Cutting Mature Pines in Sierra
Source: Tahoe Daily Tribune
A 20-year-old man accused of illegally cutting at least three mature pines in the Tahoe National Forest near Truckee has pleaded guilty to a charge of depredation of government property.
John Clifton awaits sentencing Dec. 2 after entering the plea Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Sacramento.
Prosecutors said the trees around Stampede Reservoir were between 100 and 125 years of age and averaged 100 feet in height. Clifton may have cut down as many as 33 trees in the area, they said.
“This was an utterly senseless crime,” U.S. Attorney McGregor Scott said. “The defendant’s wanton destruction in this case damaged a protected shoreline, and the loss of these mature trees disrupted the natural habitat.”
Lawyers in the case agreed to recommend a sentence of five years probation, 500 hours of community service and restitution of $70,000.
Clifton, who listed Truckee and Sierraville addresses, faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years probation.
Clifton was charged after an extensive investigation by the U.S. Forest Service.
At nearby Lake Tahoe, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency over the last decade has imposed fines in about 50 cases involving property owners who have violated its regulations forbidding the removal of trees or limbs to improve lake views. - Information from: The Union, http://www.theunion.com
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