Clear-Cutting Antioch Woods A 'Mistake,' Landowner Says

ANTIOCH, TN — The owner of 12 acres of Antioch woods that were clear-cut illegally says removing hundreds of trees was a "mistake," according to WKRN.

Metro Water Services fined 5135 Hickory Hollow LLC, owner of the name's-the-same property, $1,400 — the maximum penalty — for bulldozing the trees because they were an important part of erosion control for nearby Mill Creek, a key tributary to the Cumberland River, and home to the endangered Nashville crayfish.

Local environmentalists said the damage is already done, even though the owners will be required to go through a restoration process.

WKRN tracked the LLC to Bennett David, a Florida real estate broker.

“It was a mistake on our part and we should’ve checked more into it," he told the station.

On March 1, David will have to present a restoration plan for the property to the Metro Stormwater Committee, a plan which could be extremely expensive.

Still, Micah Hargrove of the Mill Creek Watershed Assocation told WKRN that in the meantime, sediment from the now-barren tract is settling into the creek, harming habitats for wildlife and increasing flood chances on the already flood-prone creek.

For Antioch & South Nashville news and breaking alerts, click here to subscribe to the Antioch & South Nashville Patch, or find your local Middle Tennessee Patch here.

Image via Cumberland River Compact