Matthew Bernard and Lynn Warner own an undeveloped residential plot in Oakland. In 2020, the Oakland Fire Prevention Bureau ordered them to clear dead and dying trees from their land or face ongoing fines. Now, because the couple removed the trees without a permit from the City of Oakland, the City Council has levied a staggering $915,000 fine, threatened to place a lien on the property, and halted all building permits.
In response to this egregious overreach, TPPF’s Center for the American Future has filed a lawsuit to challenge Oakland’s protected tree ordinance.