Vandals illegally cut down trees at Mission Ridge Park

The City of Kelowna and local RCMP are investigating an incident that saw a number of trees illegally cut down.

Vandals completely destroyed 10 Ponderosa Pines in Mission Ridge Park, adding two others were also damaged.

The city said it was taking the matter seriously as this type of vandalism can have negative impacts on the park ecosystems and create public safety concerns.

“City trees provide numerous benefits including shade, absorbing carbon dioxide, providing oxygen, and providing wildlife habitat. In addition, these specific trees were used to provide stability to the steep, sandy slopes of Mission Ridge Park,” Todd Cashin, Kelowna’s Urban Forestry Manager said.

“The removal of these trees will certainly increase the erosion potential in the park. The stability of the slope is key to protecting the homes at the top of the slope.”

The downed trees also represent a potential wildfire fuel hazard that will need to be addressed. City parks staff will also need to clean up the area and retire the vegetation, which the city said will be a complicated and costly task.

The person or persons involved in the destruction of the trees could be subject to steep fines under a number of municipal bylaws.

Kelowna RCMP also opened an investigation into the vandalism.

Anyone with the information on the vandalism or the parties involved is asked to contact the Kelowna RCMP at 250-762-3300 and reference file #2024-44190, or file an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers online or at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).