A New York homeowner is potentially facing legal consequences following his decision to landscape the city-owned waterfront area in front of his house.
According to the New York Post, the man cut down 12 trees — a habit belonging to residents in the neighborhood. Though some see the violations as greedy, suspecting the homeowner's intentions were to expand his personal view, the man in question disagrees.
The 85-year-old resident said he wanted to remove bamboo from the area, which was harming his home's foundation and impeding an area where kids play.
Meanwhile, local activists claim residents like this one use the guise of managing invasive species to destroy the city's trees.
"There have been increasing violations that are slowly chipping away at that Parks Department property," said Kat Cervino, president of the Coastal Preservation Network. "People have been expanding their backyards. … They're cutting down trees, planting their own trees," she elaborated, according to the NY Post.
The resident went on to mention that improving his view was the "second reason" he made the decision to mess with the city's trees.
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As plants near waterways often have a purpose, such as preventing flooding, it is vital not to mess with them without proper permits. To make the point even firmer, removing vegetation from protected wetland areas could come with a fine of up to $10,000 per day per violation.
While the repercussions of the New York homeowner's actions are not yet clear, others have learned the hard way why you shouldn't mess with protected areas.
In Baltimore, a medical waste incinerator that was emitting untreated, toxic smoke into the air was slapped with a $1.75 million fine. Other examples of acting against nature and facing the consequences include a man who cut down over 1,000 trees in a protected area around a Chernobyl nuclear power plant and was detained.
Protected areas are carefully preserved by professionals who know the areas best. More so, these places are home to countless plants and animals, all of which rely on one another to survive.
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The New York Parks Department encouraged locals to let officials handle tree removal. "Our trees are a vital resource and an enormous value to our city," a rep told the NY Post.
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