Lake Tahoe’s Incline Village aghast after trees criminally poisoned

For the third time this year, a stand of mature pine trees has been poisoned on the shores of Incline Village, a wealthy lakefront enclave on the Nevada side of North Lake Tahoe. Law enforcement currently has no suspects and no motive, but the crime, no longer an isolated incident, has sent shock waves through the community.

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The most recent incident was reported on Sunday at Burnt Cedar Beach, located near the west end of Incline Village’s Lakeshore Boulevard. It is the fifth tree poisoning here since 2022, with several previous attempts resulting in the deaths of 11 mature trees that line the exclusive stretch of lakeshore. 

Staff from the Incline Village General Improvement District — the village’s governing agency that oversees and manages the beaches, golf courses and ski resort — reported a noxious odor emanating from a stand of trees on the east end of the beach. Deputies from the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office investigated the scene and determined that several trees had been poisoned. 

Incline Village’s beaches are exclusive to property owners. Their access, deed-restricted in the late 1960s when the ground was broken on the resort-style lakefront development, has always been a source of controversy outside of the tiny village’s select group of property owners, resulting in years of legal challenges from outsiders.

The latest apparent poisoning took place between approximately 11:30 a.m. on Aug. 1 and 5 a.m. on Aug. 2, Washoe County sheriff’s deputies said. 

The IVGID released a statement on Monday, saying that it recognizes “the value of these trees to the community and is resolved to work with law enforcement to hold accountable those responsible for attempting to destroy them. In addition, the District is working with environmental specialists to assess and mitigate the effects on the trees and surrounding soil. Measures to prevent similar conduct are also underway.”

IVGID spokesperson Paul Raymore told SFGATE on Tuesday that the trees targeted this year are “in the same general vicinity.”

“It seems to be a pattern,” he explained. “Those other tree poisonings are in the same zone.”

“A trail camera captured a brief light near the area at approximately 2:00 a.m.,” the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office said in a Monday statement. “Deputies are continuing to investigate the incident and are canvassing the area for additional video evidence.”

“The deliberate destruction of these trees is deeply troubling and represents a significant loss for the entire community,” Sheriff Darin Balaam said in the statement. “We are taking these repeated incidents seriously and asking anyone with information to come forward so the person responsible can be identified and held accountable.”

Sixteen trees have been impacted by the most recent poisoning, Capt. Joseph Colacurcio, who helms the Incline Village Substation, said in a press conference just outside Burnt Cedar Beach on Tuesday morning.

He noted the poisonings have a pattern that extends back years. 

“In the past, 2022, about the similar time range, they had six trees that were affected with a similar incident,” he said. “Same within 2024, they had another six trees. Currently, they have 16 right now, so we’re looking at about approximately 28 trees that have been affected over the time.”

Colacurcio estimated the damage to be north of $300,000 but noted that these mature trees are “almost irreplaceable.”

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He emphasized that investigations into previous incidents revealed no suspects or motives and admitted that those efforts “pretty much turned up unfounded.”

“There could be tons of motives,” he said, noting that if an individual or individuals are caught, Nevada’s laws will enable the state to prosecute them over malicious damage to trees. “… You’re looking at pretty substantial charges that would come out of this.” 

Colacurcio also noted that since the Incline beaches are private, the sheriff’s office cannot install cameras. They’re “working diligently through the community” to investigate, he said.

The sheriff’s office did not reveal what substance was used to poison the trees. Samples are being taken to identify it. 

In the meantime, IVGID spokesperson Raymore said that while the beaches remain open, tree experts and cleanup crews from around the Tahoe Basin are working to save the most recently impacted trees, noting that they’ve reached out to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and local arborists to “remediate any damage.”

“That’s kind of the process,” he said. “[We’re] leaving the investigation to the sheriffs and asking the community if they know anything to contact the sheriff’s office.”

Tahoe Regional Planning Agency spokesperson Jeff Cowen confirmed that the IVGID had contacted the agency. The TRPA will deploy representatives to Burnt Cedar Beach on Friday. “It’ll be the start of our investigation,” he told SFGATE on Tuesday, noting that the sheriff’s office will continue to lead the criminal investigation. 

He emphasized that, right now, any theories about what happened and how this continues to happen are “so speculative.” 

The poisonings have already impacted the beach profoundly. The majority of the trees poisoned in 2022 and 2024 have died, Raymore said. “Six in 2022, all six did die,” he said. “And five of the six in 2024 did die.”

“It’s unfortunate in that it seems to be an ongoing trend,” he concluded.