Dozens of recently planted trees in St. Paul are vandalized

For the second autumn in a row, dozens of recently planted trees have been destroyed in St. Paul.

The city’s Parks and Recreation Department reported Friday that 32 trees were destroyed along Shepard Road, south of the High Bridge.

The trees — planted last fall — were cut off a few feet above the ground, with their fallen canopies left behind. The city estimated the cost of the damage at about $700 a tree, or more than $22,000.

“We will work to determine next steps for replacing the damaged trees ... though at this time there is no funding identified,” the Parks and Rec Department reported.

Last year, St. Paul reported 60 trees vandalized along Shepard Road closer to downtown, several of which were thrown into the adjacent Mississippi River. Damage from that incident was estimated at $