60 trees uprooted by vandals, thrown into Mississippi River in St. Paul

St. Paul police are investigating after 60 trees were pulled out of the ground and some were thrown into the Mississippi River in St. Paul overnight Wednesday.

A series of post’s on X from St. Paul Parks and Recreation said the trees were planted along Shepard Road in October during MEA break in partnership with the non-profit Tree Trust and local high school students.

The department is estimating the damage to be around $40,000.

A post on Facebook from Tree Trust’s Executive Director and CEO Jared Smith included the following statement.

“While we are disappointed in this act and the negative impact it has on the neighboring community and our urban forest, we are working closely with Tree Trust to determine next steps for replacing the damaged trees and will provide more information when it is available,” the posts added.

“As you may know, this morning, we learned that 60 newly planted trees along Shepard Rd. were destroyed and vandalized, with some even thrown into the Mississippi River. These trees were planted as part of a collaboration between the City of Saint Paul, Tree Trust, and local high school students as part of a comprehensive workforce development program. These students invested a significant amount of their time and effort in this two-day urban canopy revitalization project.

This senseless act of vandalism has caused substantial damage, and we are committed to supporting any replanting efforts.

Tree Trust staff and workforce trainees replanted trees today that could be saved, and we are working closely with the City of Saint Paul to determine our next steps. Thank you for standing with us as we remain steadfast in pursuing our vision of a thriving workforce living on a healthy planet.”