A Nigerian medical doctor, Matthew Bernard, and his wife, Lynn Warner, have been ordered to pay nearly $1 million after illegally cutting down dozens of protected trees in Oakland, California.
The Oakland City Council approved the fine following public complaints over the removal of 38 protected trees around the couple’s Claremont Avenue property.
Residents who attended a public hearing argued that the trees played a vital role in wildfire prevention, environmental protection, and public health within the community.
Bernard and his wife defended their actions, claiming the trees were removed based on the recommendation of an arborist who described them as dead, dangerous, or leaning.
However, city authorities disagreed with the explanation and imposed a total fine of $915,135.40 on the couple.
Officials also placed a legal claim on the property, preventing the owners from selling or developing it until the penalty is fully paid.
A community tree specialist, Erys Gagnez, explained that trees of such size and environmental value could not easily be replaced, adding that it would take decades or even centuries to restore the ecological benefits lost after the trees were cut down.
