RUTLAND – An investigation into a timber theft from the Green Mountain National Forest has been settled.
Michael Marino, of Waitsfield, agreed to pay a fine of $1,500 and pay $1,139 in restitution to the Green Mountain National Forest last Thursday for cutting four hardwood trees before removing three from national forest land adjacent to his property line, a news release stated.
In February 2011, the Green Mountain National Forest received a report of the hardwood timber cut and removal from National Forest System lands off Plunkton Road in Warren.
U.S. Forest Service law enforcement, a subdivision of the federal agency designed to protect natural resources throughout the National Forest System lands, launched the investigation after the report.
The investigation determined that the logger working on adjacent private lands had cut four hardwood trees and removed three of the trees after mistakenly believing that the property line was in a different location, the news release stated.
Ethan Ready, public affairs officer for the U.S. Forest Service, said the investigation should be used to educate the public on their responsibility to know the boundaries of public land.
“We don’t have a fence around the National Forest,” he said. “When in doubt, ask.”
National Forest law enforcement is currently investigating several cases ranging from major illegal trail construction projects to large-scale timber thefts where trespasses have occurred from private lands on to the public’s lands, the news release stated.
These violations can result in federal criminal charges or civil remedies or both, the news release stated.
