A man accused of cutting timber illegally at Hazen’s Notch State Park in Westfield has been sued by the state, Attorney General TJ Donovan announced Monday.
The state alleges Thomas Tremonte, a New Hampshire resident who owns property in Westfield abutting the state park, cleared parts of state land during and before June 2019. Tremonte claimed he intended to clear an area for backcountry skiing, but admitted it was possible he cut too far, according to the lawsuit.
Vermont state foresters cataloged 839 trees and shrubs on state land that were cut without permission.
“Cutting down trees on public land for private use is a violation of the law that comes at a cost to Vermonters and our environment,” Donovan said in a statement. “It is incumbent on all of us to protect and responsibly utilize Vermont’s natural resources, including our state parks.”
Authorities were tipped off to the cutting when a visitor heard chainsaws in the park, which the state has owned since 1946, according to town land records. Tremonte acquired his Westfield property in 2017.
If found liable, Tremonte could have to pay three times the actual value of the timber, in addition to other fees.
Vermont law values trees on a sliding scale based on size, from $50 for those with stumps under 6 inches in diameter to $2,000 for those with stumps over 22 inches in diameter. Bushes and shrubs are valued at $50 each.
— Seamus McAvoy
