People are illegally cutting trees in Tacoma. City taking action with cameras, signs
Think twice before cutting that tree near your yard — it could be illegal.
Tacoma city workers have started monitoring what they see as a problem: timber trespass.
It’s the illegal cutting, pruning or removing of vegetation from a property you don’t own, according to Washington state law.
It usually occurs when public property is located next to private property.
“Trees and vegetation are often cut for private views or to make more yard space (i.e. lawn, extra parking, storage),” Désirée Radice, environmental specialist with the city’s Open Space program, said in an email. “Occasionally trees are cut for private use – burning or woodworking — but this occasion appears to be less prevalent.”
Take, for example, the community around Mason Gulch in Tacoma’s North End, where many have views of Commencement Bay.
The city estimated it has spent $500 to post signs and cameras around the site, warning of trespassing and illegal cutting.
This summer, the city sent out mailers to 49 households surrounding Mason Gulch as a preemptive measure, asking residents to help stop the illegal activity. It’s the second time the city’s mailed notices in the area.
“City property in this area has been the target of illegal cutting in the past,” Radice said.
Mason Gulch consists of roughly 40 acres of forest and is part of the city’s Open Space Program intended to conserve and manage open and forested space.
The site has been damaged in the past from logging, tree cutting and landslides. In 2015, a restoration plan was put in place. Some residents were vocal in public meetings and surveys about their concerns of losing a view of the bay.
“I’m a homeowner who has lived here for several decades ... I am frustrated that I pay a lot of money and the view is gone,” one resident wrote in 2015.
The issue is not unique to Tacoma.
In 2016, the city of Seattle sought more than $1.6 million in damages and fines from West Seattle homeowners accused of cutting down 150 trees in a greenbelt to improve their views. Seattle ended up being paid $440,000.
Costs of timber trespass extend beyond a dollar figure, Radice said — from wildlife and ecosystem damage to costs of restoration.
It’s very difficult to replant a 50-year-old tree, Radice pointed out.
To prevent timber trespass, residents and businesses are asked to confirm property boundaries and ownership and to not cut vegetation on a steep slope, near a wet area or within the right-of-way without a permit or approval from the city.
People are asked to report illegal tree cutting at 253-591-5588.
This story was originally published August 28, 2019 at 6:10 AM.
