Whoever used a hatchet to illegally chop down about 20 young, live trees at a popular campground on Casper Mountain, then used them to build a lean-to in the middle of a hiking trail, could get tossed in jail.
That is, if they’re ever caught.
A recliner was packed in about 100 yards to furnish the lean-to, which was reported to the Central Wyoming Trails Alliance this week.
Trash was strewn about the site at the Tower Hill Campground, which is run by the Natrona County Parks and Recreation Department.
County employees and Trails Alliance volunteers spent time this week cleaning the mess up, said alliance president and director Austin Burgess.
He talked to Cowboy State Daily over the phone Friday as he was preparing to go up to the site and help put the finishing touches on the clean-up.
Work included sawing off crudely hacked tree stumps down to ground level. The stumps presented a hazard, jutting up from the ground with sharp edges.
“We’re going to make it look like nothing happened up there,” he said.
Somebody illegally hacked down about 20 live trees at the Tower Hill campground on Casper Mountain to build this lean-to right in the middle of a hiking trail. (Courtesy Austin Burgess, Central Wyoming Trails Alliance) 
This is what a trail leading from the Tower Hill campground on Casper Mountain is supposed to look like. Volunteers this week cleaned up a lean-to that had been set up there using young trees that had been illegally chopped down. An old recliner and trash were also left at the site. (Courtesy Austin Burgess, Central Wyoming Trails Alliance) 
The stumps of young trees that had been illegally hacked down with a hatchet had to be removed on Friday, because they presented a hazard at the Tower Hill Campground on Casper Mountain. (Courtesy Austin Burgess, Central Wyoming Trails Alliance)
Will Anybody Get Caught?
Cutting down trees, blocking the trail and leaving the recliner and trash at the site all violate park rules. Each violation carries a penalty of a $100 fine and/or 30 days in jail, according to Natrona County regulations.
But it’s likely nobody will be caught, Burgess said, adding the incident was reported to the Natrona County Sheriff’s Office.
Unless somebody witnessed the shenanigans, or got photos, video or other solid evidence, it could be difficult to prove who the perpetrators are, he said.
Campground records could show who was authorized to be at the site in the days leading up to the lean-to being reported.
But people merely being there in the time frame when the damage might have occurred does nothing to prove who actually did the damage, Burgess said.
It’s likely the case will go unsolved “unless somebody comes forward and says, ‘I’m sorry, that was me.’ And nobody’s going to do that,” he said.
Trees Taken Down Illegally
Making a lean-to may seem a minor thing, but to do it with live trees is a big deal.
As is the case on federal national forests or Wyoming state lands, it’s illegal to cut or chop down live trees in Natrona County parks, Burgess said.
On Forest Service land, for example, people can fall (cut down) standing dead trees for firewood. But the trees must be completely dead, without even a single living branch.
People can also take firewood from Tower Hill, Burgess said. But they must get a permit from the county parks and recreation department. And they can cut only dead trees that have already fallen over.
Cutting lives trees or “falling dead trees for firewood” is forbidden, he said.
Only Trails Alliance Authorized To Cut
Burgess and other members of the Trails Alliance have authorization from the parks and recreation department to use chainsaws or other equipment to clear trees and brush under special circumstances.
That might include clearing fallen timber from trails and campgrounds. They’re also authorized to remove hazard trees — or trees that appear be danger of falling over on to trails and campsites.
“Sometimes people see us working and assume, ‘Oh, they’re taking care of trees, I can do that too.’ No, you can’t,” Burgess said.
Popular Trail
Burgess said he can’t understand why somebody would think it was OK to chop down so many young, healthy trees, and then build a lean-to blocking a trail.
To make the lean-to, the chopped-down young trees were leaned against the trunk of a large tree that fell across the trail, but is jammed several feet up between some live trees.
He said that tree trunk was inspected and deemed “a zero-hazard tree” because it’s resting solidly in place, Burgess said.
So, the county and trails alliance opted to live it where it is because it adds character to the trail.
“People like that spot. Kids like to come and climb up over the log,” he said.
As near as he can surmise, the lean-to and other trashing of the site was “opportunistic,” but also extremely disrespectful.
He’s holding out hope that somebody will come forward with evidence that isn’t just hearsay and can help nail the perps.
In the meantime, irresponsible users of Wyoming’s public spaces will continue to be the reason why those who come along behind them can’t have nice things.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
