Nigerian Doctor, Wife Slammed With Nearly $1m Penalty Over Illegal Tree Felling in California
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A Nigerian-born medical doctor in the United States, Matthew Bernard, and his wife, Lynn Warner, have been ordered to pay close to $1 million after authorities in Oakland, California, ruled that they illegally removed dozens of protected trees around their property.
The ruling was issued by the Oakland City Council after a heated public hearing where residents urged city officials to strictly enforce environmental and tree preservation laws in the area.
City officials said the couple cut down 38 protected trees located on and around their Claremont Avenue property. The removals reportedly sparked outrage among residents who argued that the trees were important to the neighborhood’s environmental safety and overall landscape.
During the hearing, several residents insisted the destruction of the trees could negatively affect wildfire protection, air quality, and ecological balance in the community. More than 20 people reportedly spoke in favour of imposing sanctions on the property owners.
Bernard defended the decision to remove the trees, claiming they were either dead, unhealthy, dangerously leaning, or posed safety risks. He explained that the action was taken following recommendations from a professional arborist who assessed the condition of the trees.
Despite the explanation, city authorities maintained that the removals violated Oakland’s protected tree regulations. Officials concluded that the scale of the tree cutting warranted a major financial penalty due to the environmental impact involved.
The city subsequently imposed a fine totaling $915,135.40 on Bernard and Warner. Authorities also placed a claim on the property, meaning the couple may be unable to sell or develop the land until the penalty is fully resolved.
A community tree specialist, Erys Gagnez, defended the city’s action, stating that mature trees of such size and ecological value cannot simply be replaced. Gagnez noted that restoring the environmental benefits lost from the tree removals could take decades, and in some cases centuries.
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