Reward posted for killer of trees in Inwood Hill Park

[CourtneyElise]

Hi RINGers,
 
On or around March 7th, 35 Eastern Red Cedars were chopped down with an axe or similar instrument.   It happened in the southwest corner of Inwood's forest, just north of Dyckman Street and immediately east of the Henry Hudson Parkway.  Perhaps you saw the article in Sunday's Daily News.  This is the second incident of arborcide in Inwood Hill Park in the past year and a half.  The previous incident was north of here in the Overlook, where 28 Eastern Red Cedars were also axed down.
 
Parks & Recreation is working with the 34th Precinct in attempt to find the perpetrator (s)
We are offering a reward of $500 for information that leads to arrest and conviction.   The Administrative Code and Parks & Recreation rules delineate that it is illegal to damage and destroy trees.  Violations are misdeamors that are punishable up to a fine of $15,000 and/or imprisonment of up to one year.
 
Would you help spread the word about this and ask people to be on the lookout for anyone carrying an ax or similar instrument?  A flyer, which you can print and post, is attached.
 
Many thanks,
Jennifer
 
Jennifer M. Hoppa
Administrator Northern Manhattan Parks
City of New York Parks & Recreation
Fort Tryon Park Cottage
741 Fort Washington Avenue
New York, NY 10040
T: 212.795.1388
F: 212.543.1020
C: 347-865-5399

[Bloo Pynt]

How big is an Eastern Red Cedar? These must have been saplings.

[-]

(I see Ms. hoppa works out of the Ft. Tryon Park Cottage - that's my dream home!)

how long does it take to chop down 35 trees? you'd think someone would see something in all that time. course maybe there were 35 people each chopping one tree.

what's up with the huge tree on indian road that was cut down? i know it lost a large limb in the storm last week, but it seemed a bit overkill to cut the whole thing down. there is a lovely stump there now.

[Bloo Pynt]

I haven't seen that one. It's probably the same one where about half of it came down on top of some cars a few years ago. It was right across from 25 Indian Rd.

[curleyblonde]

Eastern Red Cedar
Plant Facts
Mature Height   30 - 60 feet
Mature Spread   8 - 25 feet
Soil Type                        Widely Adaptable
Moisture                        Drought, Heat Tolerant
Mature Form   Broad, Conical
Growth Rate   Rapid
Sun Exposure   Full Sun - Partial Sun
Flower Color   Not Showy
Fall Color                         Evergreen
Foliage Color   Green
Zones                               3-9
The Eastern Red Cedar, Juniperus Virginiana, is a small to medium-sized aromatic evergreen tree. Typically, the trunk is straight and the tree has a pointed, dense, conical crown that may be varied or irregular, depending on ecotype or competing vegetation. The fruit, or cone, is berrylike and dark blue. Birds devour the fruit.
Eastern Red Cedar trees can grow on a variety of soils. Its deep roots and small leaf surface make it very drought resistant. It is the primary species in most windbreaks. The wood of the Red Cedar is fragrant and is used extensively for furniture. The foliage is bright green to dark green.

So, someone is killing these trees to make furniture?  They need to be caught and punished.

[-]

I haven't seen that one. It's probably the same one where about half of it came down on top of some cars a few years ago. It was right across from 25 Indian Rd.

that's the one.

[Rousette]

"So, someone is killing these trees to make furniture? "
"These must have been saplings."

Apparently,  the trees were destroyed with no clear purpose as the cut trees were all left there in the park. It is also strange that this destructive act, like last time, is targeted to one tree species. Someone has it out for conifers & who knows why....
 If they were saplings they could've been pulled up by hand, these were not that small.

[ininwood]

How the f**k does someone cut down 35 trees, twice, without being seen/heard??!!

[indianrd]

How does  someone in this neighborhood slash hundreds of tires without getting caught? No 

[CalBear]

I believe there's a precinct meeting (or whatever they're called) next Thursday -- perhaps someone could ask the police the same question...

[23 yrs in Inwood (aka 18, etc.)]

From Wikipedia:

Juniperus virginiana (Eastern Redcedar, Red Cedar, Eastern Juniper, Red Juniper, Pencil Cedar) is a species of juniper...not a true cedar.

...Because of its rot resistance the wood is used for fence posts. Because the aromatic wood is avoided by moths it is in demand as lining for clothes chests and closets, often referred to as cedar closets and cedar chests. It was once a premier wood for pencils.

...Juniper oil is distilled from the wood, twigs and leaves. The cones are used to flavor gin and as a kidney medicine.

...A number of cultivars have been selected for garden planting....

In the Missouri and Arkansas Ozarks, Eastern Juniper is commonly used as a Christmas tree....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Juniper

[Cuse]

Damn racist arborists!

[23 yrs in Inwood (aka 18, etc.)]

Also from Wikipedia:

The pollen is a known allergen.

Maybe the culprit suffers from hay fever.  Allergy doctors and medical labs should be ordered by a court to give the police the name of anyone who has tested positive for this allergen.  (That is, if they even test for this species specifically.)  They should focus their attention, of course, on uptown residents.

And maybe the ATF people could figure out who's making quantities of bathtub gin!

[Bloo Pynt]

Allergy doctors and medical labs should be ordered by a court to give the police the name of anyone who has tested positive for this allergen.

I don't think the ACLU would be very happy with that suggestion.

[indianrd]

I think when they catch them they should bury them up to their knees and then chop off their legs!