Photo: Getty Images
A couple is being fined after they bulldozed and buried 26 Joshua trees to make room for a home. The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that they were recently fined $18,000.
Authorities hope the punishment will stop others from destroying the trees.
“I would hope that the person that would otherwise take, remove, bulldoze a Joshua tree would understand that they are facing fairly significant criminal liability for doing so," Douglas Poston, supervising deputy district attorney with the San Bernardino County district attorney's office told The Union-Tribune.
An investigation began on February 11, after a Morongo Basin resident saw his neighbors using a tractor to mow down dozens of twisted trees. The neighbor reported it to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife through a tip line, according to wildlife officials.
Photo: California Department of Fish and Wildlife
The western Joshua Tree is a candidate for protection under the California Endangered Species Act. Although the trees are under review for more protection, it's illegal to cut down, damage, or remove the tree without a permit, according to the Union-Tribune.
According to Poston, the couple thought it was legal to remove the trees because they were under a certain diameter.
“But that’s not accurate, obviously,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a foot tall or 20 feet tall, it’s under that protection."