Target: Aaron Frey, Maine Attorney General
Goal: Seek criminal penalty for couple accused of poisoning neighbor’s oak trees if found guilty.
A Missouri couple with a summer home in Maine is accused of taking extreme measures to secure a perfect ocean view. When the neighbor of Amelia and Arthur Bond noticed her prized oak trees were rapidly deteriorating, she did not heed the suggestion of the Bonds to cut down the trees. Instead, she had the trees tested. The results revealed a disturbing finding: the trees had apparently been poisoned with an herbicide. Worse yet, the herbicide had seeped into a nearby park and public beach.
The ailing trees were eventually removed, clearing the view for the couple, who has now paid over one million dollars in restitution for allegedly poisoning the oaks. But despite the seeming culpability of these individuals, they have thus far faced no criminal charges. If the couple is responsible for poisoning public areas with a substance that does not break down easily, they have not only damaged property but endangered public health as well.
The state’s attorney general is opening an investigation into the incident. Sign the petition below to demand Maine’s top law professional hold any guilty parties legally accountable for this irresponsible and destructive alleged act.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Attorney General Frey,
One angry resident spoke for many outraged Camden community members with the following statement: “anybody dumb enough to poison trees right next to the ocean should be prosecuted, as far as I’m concerned.” The alleged actions of Missouri natives Amelia and Arthur Bond are morally and criminally wrong if they occurred as reported. To allegedly poison trees that have withstood so much environmental strife is bad enough, but to risk the wellness of nearby areas visited frequently by members of the public represents another level of reckless disregard.
Please do not let this case end with civil court. Prosecute these individuals to the fullest extend if they are found responsible for this careless act.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Serge Baeyens
