Police: Men cut valuable trees on town property

May 20—Two men have been charged with larceny in connection with the felling of several valuable trees on land owned by the towns of Ellington and Vernon, state police said.

The men told state police they cut the trees for firewood, not to sell, and the situation was a result of confusion about property lines, police said.

The men, Jonathan Anderson, 34, of Manchester and Kyle Nadeau, 28, of Vernon were each charged on May 6 with third-degree larceny, first-degree criminal mischief, and second-degree criminal trespass.

The affidavits supporting their arrests provide the following details:

In February, state police were notified that several trees were damaged next to athletic fields under construction near the Vernon-Ellington town line on Windermere Avenue.

Vernon town employees reported that four trees were cut down in a wooded area along the eastern side of the field. Three of the trees belonged to Ellington, while the fourth belonged to Vernon.

The Vernon town engineer also pointed out that the trees were black walnut, which are valuable when harvested because the wood can be used to make furniture.

Tire marks led directly from the tree stumps to a warehouse next to the field, and logs could be seen on the property.

A trooper visited the property two days later and spoke with Anderson and Nadeau.

The men explained that they rented a portion of the warehouse. A week or two prior they had asked the owner if they could clear some brush and trees on the property, as they both had experience in tree removal.

Anderson said he and Nadeau each own tree-removal companies, and Nadeau estimated their combined experience in the subject at 30 years.

The property owner gave them permission to cut additional trees for firewood.

Nadeau said he was supposed to meet with the owner in person to be shown the property lines, but he couldn't make it at the time, so the owner described the dimensions of the property instead.

Nadeau said he must have misunderstood where the property lines were.

He said he and Anderson chose the trees to cut because they wanted a hardwood tree that would work well for burning in their homes. They were also some of the few trees not covered in vines, he said.

Both men said they believed at the time that they were cutting trees for which they had permission. Nadeau said he didn't know the trees were valuable.

The logs from the trees were valued by a sawmill and estimated to be worth approximately $3,000.

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