Forest News - Acre of Trees Cut Illegally? City Orders Vinyard Project Halted

Forest Newsie #1

Acre of Trees Cut Illegally? City Orders Vinyard Project Halted

Novato Advance

By Dan Stebbins/Executive Editor

An Ignacio, California is in hot water over a large-scale illegal tree cutting to create a vineyard. Homeowners, Robert and Marsha Lang, have been ordered by Novato's code enforcement officers to immediately stop work on the harvesting of their four acre lot , on which they also reside.

An estimated 40 trees on one acre had already been cut when neighbors reported the crime. The fallen trees reportedly consist of mostly oaks, some madrone and bay.

The property is merely a "stones throw away," from the Ignacio Valley Open Space Preserve (to the west). Because of the closeness of the property in question to this preserve more agencies than just the city of Novato are involved in this incident. Possible pollution of a seasonal creek on the property with wood chips has caused the state Regional Water Quality Control Board, the state Fish and Game Department and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to potential problems. Code Enforcement Officer Dave Guidice viewed and photographed a field of stumps, a creek inundated with wood chips, stacks of cut wood and heavy equipment.

Other issues of violations include a violation of the city's Woodland Preservation Ordinance, which requires a city permit to cut trees, and the city's master plan, which restricts land use in the area to "family residential." The area is not zoned for "commercial/agricultural" use such as a vineyard is not permitted in the area.

According to the Woodland Preservation Ordinance, illegally cut trees must be replanted in a ratio of at least three trees for every one cut. The Langs also face misdemeanor fines from the city. State agencies have yet to determine what the couple's penalties will