Getting the hatchet treatment: Nick Kuhn appalled at expensive vandalism

By AMY SATTERWHITE / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

McMinnville urban forester Nick Kuhn discusses damage to 35 trees in the clover leaf near Angels Bridge that were planted as part of a beautification effort in 2002. (Amy Satterwhite photo)

A major city planting project at Angels Bridge near the Highway 70 Bypass took a literal killing this week as roughly half the trees were cut or chopped up.

According to McMinnville urban forester Nick Kuhn, about 35 trees estimated to cost around $4,000 were cut with an ax, a hatchet or even a small saw some time earlier this week, with some of those trees partially sawed or chopped at their trunks so they wouldn’t survive.

Kuhn said he noticed a problem at the site while he was driving to work Wednesday. Believing it was related to a problem that occurred last year when some of the trees were hit with mowing equipment, he said his intention was to get to work, then return for further inspection along with the city horticulturist.

What he found were chopped trees, some cut completely down, others partially cut. Kuhn declined to guess who might be responsible but said he believes he “made someone mad,” and added he believes it was not a random act of vandalism.

“I believe this was more than vandalism because someone had to put a lot of effort to use an ax to girdle all these trees, all the while being in full view of all traffic passing by the site,” Kuhn said. “In addition, many of these trees were far from the road and located from all over two planting beds.”

Kuhn planted about 80 trees at the site in 2002 with the assistance of about $5,000 in federal grant money administered by the state. He said five of the trees cut down cost $50, while the others were estimated to cost between $150 and $200 each. Kuhn also noted the amount of time workers have spent maintaining them.

McMinnville Police Department Captain Bryan Denton said if cost estimates are correct, the crime is considered a Class D felony punishable by up to four years in prison.

Kuhn said he is working with city officials on how best to handle the situation but urged anyone with information to call the Department of Urban Forestry at 474-TREE or McMinnville Police Department at 473-3808.

He noted the incident could not have occurred any more than a couple of days before Wednesday because sap was still dripping from some of the cut trees when he found them.