Former Lockheed Martin CEO's Reforestation Plan Not Enough, NPS Says

Former Lockheed Martin CEO Robert Stevens faced fines and some public outrage last summer when he clear cut a swath of trees on his Potomac property near the C&O Canal -- now it seems further fines from the National Park Service could be imminent.

Stevens, who lives on an estate in the Merry-Go-Round Farm community overlooking the Potomac River and the C&O Canal in Potomac, cleared trees from 35,000 square feet of protected land this past summer, Potomac Patch reported last October. He claimed to have removed the trees for safety reasons after the June 29 derecho storm that knocked out power across the region for a week.

In response, Montgomery County officials fined Stevens $1,000 and came up with a reforestation plan requiring that he plant 400 trees, grasses, shrubs and wildflowers on the property, The Washington Post reported on Jan. 24.

According to the new Post report, the National Park Service isn't happy with the plan, claiming more should be done to repair the damage. The park service, which prohibits cutting trees along the C&O Canal, a National Historic Park—says the current reforestation plan isn't enough to replace the tall, old oak and beech trees that were once there.

"Mr. Stevens had not only violated the [National Park Service's] scenic easement but may also be liable for damages to the [National Park Service],” Kevin Brandt, superintendent of the C&O Canal National Historical Park, wrote in a letter on Jan. 15 to the Montgomery County Planning Department, The Post reported.

Federal investigations by the park service were pending in October 2012. According to the Post report no charges have yet been served.

Several years ago Daniel Snyder, the owner of the Washington Redskins, faced censure for cutting down 130 trees along the Potomac.

Read more on The Washington Post's website.