Vandal destroys centuries-old trees along trail at WA fish hatchery
The Brief
A suspect took axes and chainsaws to trees in Washington State's fish hatchery in Puyallup.
Some of the trees have been there for more than 200 years, and others weren't fully cut down, spelling potential danger for hikers in the area.
PUYALLUP, Wash. - State investigators are looking to track down a vandal who used axes and chainsaws to chop down trees at a fish hatchery in Puyallup. The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) said one of the trees destroyed had been in the forest for two centuries.
"It's kind of sad if you're just going out there to just cause damage and potentially close down trails or risk people's lives," said Jason Smith, the hatchery operations manager in Puyallup. "We'd like to stop this now before it gets out of control."
WDFW owns 120 acres of land, with 10 acres designated for the fish hatchery and the other 110 is the forest. Clarks Creek flows through the woods and has walking trails.
What they're saying
"It's kind of a hands-off area. We don't really do any development out there, anything like that," said Smith.
The first tree lost in the alleged attack was a Douglas Fir that was rooted at least 200 years ago. Smith said their regular trail users reported the tree was vandalized in January 2024.
"All of us had a sinking feeling. You know, it was really sad, it was really depressing," said Smith. "It was alive, it was full of growth, it was healthy. And just to see a wedge cut out of it, it was really disheartening."
The state hired experts to cut down the fir and all its history. Smith said WDFW thought that tree was an unfortunate one-off incident. However, in January 2025, trail users reported a Maple tree had been hacked away.
"They snuck in there, cut that tree," said Smith. "There was really no reason for anybody to be there."
He explained the vandalism of the Maple tree resulted in the loss of a second Maple tree to reduce the public safety risk of them falling onto the trails, people, or wildlife.
"It had broken in half and was leaning over the trail," said Smith. "We had to cut this tree down, and at the same time had to cut that tree down just because it was falling on top of it."
Dig deeper
As the chopped wood decomposes back to the earth, Smith noticed yet another maple tree on Thursday that was snapped by a chainsaw.
"You can kind of see here some saw marks, some blade marks. They were coming in and just trying to get in from the edge. And it looks like part way through, and it snapped on them, and fortunately it didn't kill anybody," said Smith.
The hatchery operations manager said WDFW spent more than $6,000 hiring experts to cut down the healthy trees that were vandalized. The trees ranged from 50 to 200-years-old. Smith said he believes these were all targeted incidents but doesn't know why.
"I don't think the tree was going to be used for anything like firewood or someone was in need of it. I just think it was more of a vandalism because it is pretty far off the path. It's not something you can't cut down and cut into pieces and haul out. It would take quite a bit of a walk," said Smith.
If caught, Washington law states the suspect would be charged with malicious mischief for cutting trees on public land without permission. It could also lead to a fine of as much as $20,000 dollars, or even time in prison.
What's next
WFDW's Enforcement Department is accepting leads during its investigation. The state will also install cameras to deter vandalism, hoping to better protect the forest and all who love it.
"A lot of times when we live in our daily lives, we don't think about what's going on around us and the other animals and other birds and the other creatures out there. And this is their habitat as well," said Smith. "We need to live with them and work with them."
The Source
Information comes from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle reporter Franque Thompson.
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