I forced myself to read the entire article, so you don’t have to. (Actually I heard it on NPR yesterday so I knew how it turned out.)
The problem isn’t that he cut down a tree, as the opening paragraph implies, but that he built in a flood zone without a building permit.
He wants to turn the treehouse into a bread and breakfast, so yeah, zoning needs to get involved.
From the article:
“The treehouse was located in what we call the channel migration zone, where the Raging River, which it’s next to, is anticipated to move into this area,” Miles says.
“The river’s changing course has already taken out several homes, so the county doesn’t want people to build next to it.”
...
“But for Nelson’s treehouse, Mother Nature will eventually weigh in. He says the Raging River did flood this month. Some ferns between the treehouse and the river washed away. But the trees holding up the house are fine — for now.”
Admire your fortitude.
You don't get it. If he owned the property, he should be able to cut down ALL the trees if he wants. If we don't have that right, lets do away with private property all together and all become a communist commune! No more property taxes.... Yea!