Landowners fined after 36 Joshua trees found uprooted, buried on property
Victorville Daily Press
Two landowners accused of killing and burying 36 western Joshua trees to make way for a home were fined and ordered into a court program last week.
Per the agreement, Jeffrey Walter and Jonetta Nordberg-Walter won’t be prosecuted if they meet the conditions of the pre-trial diversion program, the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office said.
Authorities said an investigation began in February after the California Department of Fish and Wildlife received a tip that a landowner in the community of Joshua Tree “was intentionally uprooting Joshua Trees to make way for home construction and was burying them on the property.”
미국 남서부 사막지대에 자생하는 조슈아 트리 [조슈아 트리 국립공원 트위터]
[헤럴드경제=박승원 기자] 미국 캘리포니아주에 사는 한 부부가 집을 짓기 위해 보호종 사막 나무 36그루를 뽑았다가 2000만원의 벌금이 부과됐다.
샌버너디노 카운티 법원은 멸종 위기종으로 임시 지정된 조슈아 트리(Joshua tree)를 훼손한 혐의로 제프리 월터 부부에게 1만8000달러(2000만원) 벌금 처분을 내렸다고 30일(현지시간) LA타임스(LAT)가 전했다.
조슈아 트리는 북아메리카산 상록떨기나무 유카의 일종으로 미국 남서부 사막 지대에서 자생하며 캘리포니아주에서 법으로 지정한 보호종이다.
월터 부부는 지난 2월 집터를 닦기 위해 트랙터를 동원해 조슈아 트리 36그루를 밀어버렸고 이를 목격한 동네 주민이 캘리포니아주 어류·야생동물국에 신고했다.
트랙터에 뽑�
Couple faces $18,000 fine after bulldozing 36 Joshua Trees to build a home msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
California Couple Fined $18,000 for Bulldozing Iconic Joshua Trees
The authorities say they hope the fine will deter people from harming the trees, which are protected under the California Endangered Species Act.
A portion of the 36 Joshua trees that were unearthed during an investigation in San Bernardino County, Calif. Credit.California Department of Fish and Wildlife
June 30, 2021Updated 6:34 p.m. ET
A California couple who mowed down 36 protected Joshua trees to clear their land for a new house have been fined $18,000, a punishment the authorities hope will discourage others from uprooting the iconic desert plants.
A nearby landowner reported seeing Jeffrey Walter and Jonetta Nordberg-Walter bulldoze the land and bury the trees in a hole in February, the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement on Tuesday.
Couple faces $18,000 in fines for bulldozing Joshua trees on their property washingtonpost.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from washingtonpost.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.