$147,000 reward being offered after 28 trees poisoned on Lake Tahoe beach
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. (KGO) -- More than two dozen trees along Lake Tahoe have been poisoned in a vandalism case that authorities have yet to solve, prompting a $147,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and successful prosecution.
The damage occurred at Burnt Cedar Beach in Incline Village, where vandals drilled dozens of holes into tree trunks and poured substances into them in an apparent effort to kill the trees.
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"They bore a hole about this big, and they bore three or four or five holes per tree trunk. And they bore them on an angle, so when they pour the stuff in. You know, it's really hard to flush out because it's going down into the center of the trunk," said Chris Nolet of Friends of Burnt Cedar Beach.
Nolet said 28 trees were targeted.
"There were a total of 72 holes drilled in 28 trees. So these people were serious," he said.
The effort to kill the trees began in 2022. Nolet said they initially used diesel fuel. He said people now believe copper sulfate is being used, though test results have not yet confirmed it.
Of the 16 trees targeted this summer, three are already showing signs of severe damage.
"And three of the 16 that were targeted this summer are already showing significant signs of distress, which means they will likely die," Nolet said.
William Probst, an arborist with ArborGreen Tree Care and Consulting who has worked with trees for nearly 40 years, said the poisoning process can take years.
"This poisoning works very slowly into the trees, depending upon the weather and, the temperature," Probst said.
"If not treated they would all be dead in 5 years," he added.
A group of private donors, organized by Friends of Burnt Cedar Beach and the Incline Village General Improvement District, is now offering a $147,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and successful prosecution of those responsible.
"It seems more likely that someone was hired to do this. And the sheriff's office has said there are sufficient similarities amongst all the different vandalisms that it could very well be the same people," Nolet said.
Authorities have not identified a motive. Nolet said the 16 trees targeted this year share a common characteristic.
"What's interesting about these 16 from this year...Because they are all directly in a line of sight," he said.
Probst said he hopes the reward encourages someone to come forward.
"Let's get the word out, let's let these people know, I mean. That... that this is not okay, and... and there are consequences for actions, and, you know, there is accountability still left in this world," Probst said.
