Nigerian doctor, wife fined nearly $1m for cutting protected trees in US

The City Council of Oakland has voted to impose a fine of nearly $1 million on Nigerian medical doctor Matthew Bernard and his wife, Lynn Warner, for allegedly cutting down 38 legally protected trees around their Claremont Avenue property.

According to reports by California-based media platform KQED, residents at a public hearing on Tuesday strongly backed the enforcement of Oakland’s tree protection laws, arguing that the trees played a critical role in wildfire prevention, environmental protection, and public health.

More than 20 residents reportedly attended the hearing, expressing concerns over the environmental impact of removing mature tree canopies from the neighbourhood.

Bernard and Warner had earlier defended their actions, insisting the trees were removed based on professional advice from an arborist. Speaking during the hearing, Bernard said many of the trees were either “dead, dying, leaning,” or considered hazardous.

City officials, however, rejected the explanation and approved penalties totaling $915,135.40 against the couple.

Authorities also placed a legal claim on the property, preventing any future development or sale until the fine is fully settled.

Defending the city’s decision, community tree specialist Erys Gagnez said the environmental loss could not easily be reversed because trees of such size and ecological value could not simply be replaced.

“Trees of that size are not commercially available for replacement. Even with replanting, it will take decades, even centuries, to restore the ecological and protective functions that were lost,” Gagnez said.

The official added that the scale of the penalty reflected the long-term environmental damage caused by the removal of the trees.

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