A Lookout Mountain, Tn., man has been found guilty on a charge of cutting seven trees on NPS property near the Stonedge Condominiums.
U.S. Magistrate Court Judge Chris Steger made the ruling after a bench trial.
Christopher G. Allen, 67, of 284 Fort Stephenson Terrace, was sentenced to pay
$850 to the Park Service and a $10 special assessment, for a total of $860.
On June 2, 2021, a NPS ranger said he began investigating the matter while responding to a citizen complaint.
He said he noticed that trees in front of the last apartment at Stonedge had been clear cut. He found that was on Stonedge property.
However, investigating further, he said trees were also cut on NPS property, including over 100 feet across the line. There were seven trees cut on the park property.
The ranger said the iron pin marking the NPS boundary was in plain view.
The trees were hickories and pines ranging from six inches to eight inches in diameter.
The ranger said the trees were not cut in a random fashion, but were in line with the view from apt. 333.
He said he knocked on the door of apt. 333 and Christopher Allen came to the door. He said he was living there while building a home.
He said he did pay someone to cut trees, but told them not to cut any on park property. He said he had the property surveyed before doing the cutting. He said the cutting had been over two and a half years earlier.
The ranger said Allen became defensive when he asked him the name of the tree contractor. He said he "became angry and asked why I was wasting government resources over trees being cut."
Allen said he had gotten into trouble with Stonedge management over the cutting and had to pay almost $5,000 to replant trees on their property.
Management said the cutting had been less than two years prior.