A Vancouver man who illegally cut a large swath of trees near his home last month has been hit with a penalty of more than $28,000, according to a citation issued by the city.
Bill Patterson was cited for the removal of 16 trees on a steep slope above East Fifth Street, immediately south of Cedar Street, without the required permits. He cut the trees, located on a property he does not own, for “view enhancement,” according to the city.
Patterson received a total penalty of $28,170 — $8,000 for illegally removing the trees (a fine of $500 per tree) — plus $20,170 for restoration costs. The city based restoration costs on the appraised value of the trees removed, according to the citation.
Patterson has appealed the penalty. He has previously accepted responsibility for the cutting, but in his appeal, Patterson argued that “no trees have been removed or killed and all trees will regrow as they have since the last pruning.” Some of the trees appeared to be severed partway up the trunk, not all the way down to the base.
