A Red Mountain homeowner who cut 12 to 15 feet off the tops of nearly 130 cottonwood trees without permission must monitor replanted trees and vegetation for five years, Pitkin County commissioners decided Wednesday.
Andrew Lessman, the homeowner, must also submit twice-annual reports to the county about the replanted trees during that five-year period. Lessman was originally ordered to monitor the new trees and submit reports for 20 years. He filed a lawsuit challenging the 20-year order and on Wednesday he and his attorney asked the commissioners to cut the monitoring period to three years.
Lessman said he pruned the trees — cutting 12 to 15 feet from the top — to make them healthier, not to improve his view as his neighbors complained. He said he knew he couldn’t remove dead or dying cottonwood trees, but said he was told he could prune the trees.
But county officials say Lessman failed to get a permit to prune the trees. They also argued the trees were topped not pruned, which removes the top of the trunk and leads to structural instability and problems with insects and diseases.
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