This story comes from the stupid file!  The Los Angeles Times reported this week, that 57 year old Patricia MarieVincent, an Incline Village (Near Lake Tahoe) resident paid a tree cutting company to come in and cut down several trees that were blocking her view of Lake Tahoe.  Seems simple enough, no problem, right?  Well the trees she had cut were three 80 - 100 year old Ponderosa Pines on National Forest Land that was next to her property!

     Now don’t fret, she was caught and fined.  She was charged with a felony count of theft of government property and willingly damaging government property, punishable by 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each offense if found guilty.  Now the kicker, she pled guilty and received a reduced sentence of a misdemeanor charge of unlawfully cutting trees on U.S. land, which could have brought her one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.  Since she pled guilty on a plea bargain, she received one year probation, 80 hours of community service and a $100,000 restitution fine.  The money will be split between the U.S. Forest Service ($35,000) and the National Forest Foundation ($65,000).

     In a statement to the press, Scott Freeman her lawyer from Reno said,

 ”This was a fair resolution for both sides,” Freeman told the Reno Gazette-Journal. “The about of exposure Ms. Vincent was facing was incomprehensible to someone like her. As a consequence, both sides came to an agreeable compromise and we’re hopeful the court will follow our joint agreement at the time of sentencing.”

     A fair resolution for both sides! Give me a break!  This lady cut down trees that cannot be replaced for at least 80 years!  I have a feeling that if she lives with a view of Lake Tahoe, the $100,000 fine is probably worth the view she gained by having them cut in the first place.  It is probably now a million dollar view!  She got what she wanted and there is nothing we can do about it, except wait for trees the trees to mature in another 20 to 30 years, that is if they even get replanted!  If I were the judge I would throw the book at her, and then replant the biggest trees available back in the same spot at her expense.  I would make sure she didn’t get her $100,000 view of Lake Tahoe. 

     It amazes me that people think they can just do what ever they want to, to get what they want.  Now if that were you or me cutting down a Christmas tree on National Forest land, we would have probably gotten the hammer put down on us, but with the right lawyer I guess you can get away with murder!  I just wonder if it was only three trees that blocked her view or did the tree company realize what was going on, stop cutting and then turn her in?