Are trees deliberately being poisoned at this private beach community? Investigators have landed upon a theory

More than a dozen trees, some over a century old, have been poisoned at a private Lake Tahoe beach this year, raising law enforcement’s suspicions that someone is killing them to improve the views from an unidentified property. The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the third suspected mass poisoning of mature pines at Burnt Cedar Beach, on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe, over the past four years. The wooded beach is fenced off and accessible only to residents of the upscale community of Incline Village and their guests, through a staffed gatehouse that closes at night.

Investigators have documented 28 affected pine trees across the three incidents and believe the cases are connected. Six trees were damaged in 2022, followed by another six in 2024. This year, four were found poisoned in May, two in late July and 10 more this month, according to the Los Angeles Times.

In July, deputies responded following reports of a strong chemical odor near a large pine, and 10 more damaged trees were discovered days later, the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office said. The incidents have caused an estimated $300,000 in damages and while no suspect has been identified, and investigators have not confirmed a motive, officials do have a theory. Chad McKinnon of the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office told the LA Times Tuesday.

The median price for a single-family home in Incline Village costs about $1.5 million, according to the Nevada Real Estate Group. Prices range from $600,000 for condos to custom homes between $3 million and $8 million. Lakefront estates are in the neighborhood of $10 million to $30 million-plus, the group noted.

In the August 2 incident, someone found an unknown substance around the bases of 10 trees, Paul Raymore, a spokesman for the Incline Village General Improvement District, which owns and manages the beach, told the LA Times. Investigators found that diesel fuel may have been poured around the trees, while holes drilled into trunks suggest someone may have injected copper sulfate. Soil samples are being tested to determine exactly what chemicals were used.

A trail camera also captured a brief light near the area August 2 around 2 a.m., the sheriff’s office added. As the investigation continued, Deputies have asked residents to turn over security footage or other information that could help identify whoever is responsible. While authorities suspect someone may be killing the trees to improve a nearby property’s views of Lake Tahoe, the trees are more than a scenic obstruction.