![\"Mahogany](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/trees.jpg\" "\\"Mahogany")
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Mahogany trees were cut down along I-95 near NW 31st St. in Miami. Mahogany trees are a protected species under Florida law.<\/p>\n
CBS News Miami | Aug. 28, 2o26<\/p>\n
Miami officials are investigating the unauthorized removal of nearly a dozen native mahogany trees along I-95 after families and environmental advocates found the threatened species cut down to stumps.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought it was really strange,\u201d said Alexandra Acero, who lives nearby. \u201cIt didn\u2019t seem like it was a city-owned truck, so it definitely caught my attention.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sandy Moise, a member of Sierra Club Miami, said she was stunned when she saw the aftermath near I-95 and Northwest 31st Street.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought I was witnessing a zombie apocalypse,\u201d Moise said. \u201cIt was unreal. I couldn\u2019t believe I saw these lifeless trunks.\u201d<\/p>\n
FDOT confirmed it did not order the removal of the trees. Photos taken before the cutting show a row of mature mahogany trees growing along the highway corridor.<\/p>\n
Mahogany is listed as a threatened plant species in Florida, making it a protected species under state law.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt looks sad,\u201d Acero said. \u201cIt destroyed the land for no reason.\u201d<\/p>\n
Miami Commissioner Christine King released a statement:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe slaughter of these trees along I-95 was brought to my attention by vigilant constituents, and I immediately began looking into it. We learned the property is under FDOT\u2019s jurisdiction and that these trees, some nearly as old as the highway itself, were cut down illegally. We have a license plate and are working with FDOT to identify who is responsible. I rely on my constituents to be my eyes and ears in the community, and I take their concerns seriously. Whoever did this must be held accountable. Severe penalties must be imposed to discourage such egregious behavior and replacement of the trees is non-negotiable.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m happy it\u2019s being taken seriously. There\u2019s an investigation going on, and that matters,\u201d Moise said.<\/p>\n
The mahogany trees along I-95 near NW 31st St. in Miami in Oct. 2025 Google via CBS News Miami <\/p>\n
Acero said she hopes officials determine who was responsible.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really hope they push forward and get to the bottom of this because it was so unnecessary,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n