STATELINE -- A property owner has apologized for poisoning three large pines to improve his view of Lake Tahoe but is resisting a proposed hefty fine, land-use regulators said.
The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency board risks litigation if it approves a $50,000 fine against John Fitzhenry, vice president of human resources for San Jose, Calif.-based computer chip maker Altera Corp.
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Fitzhenry is unwilling to pay more than $34,000 for the violation at his Dollar Point home on the north shore, said staffers of the bistate agency charged with protecting Lake Tahoe.
"If he doesn't, we are liable to have to go to court," board member Coe Swobe of Nevada told the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
In a letter of apology, Fitzhenry accepted responsibility for poisoning the trees.
Fitzhenry drilled holes in the base of the Jeffrey pines and applied a herbicide.
The trees are expected to die within five years. A proposed settlement requires a restoration plan, which includes monitoring the health of the trees and planting new ones to take their place.
