A Vermont farmer faces fines up to $10,000 per day for placing hay bales around maple trees he estimated to be around 250 years old.
Doug Lilley of Calais received a letter from the town threatening penalties between $100 and $10,000 for every day the bales remain on his property along Lightning Ridge Road, WCAX reported. The deadline to remove them is Jan. 25.
Lilley told the outlet he placed the bales to protect six maple trees after snowplows got too close two years prior and killed several others. (RELATED: Town Tries To Seize 175-Year-Old Farm Land From Family For Affordable Housing)
“It’s part of the farm. It keeps it looking like Vermont,” Lilley said. “When they plow it away — the dirt away — that’s the cover for the roots to the tree. And when the traffic goes by, they’ll drive right to it, and they drive the frost right down in the ground. You know? That kills the trees.”
The farmer said he can’t afford the potential fines. “If they charge me that kind of money, I can’t live here. I’ve got to go out of business,” Lilley said.
#Vt farmer feuds with town over old maple trees in right-of-way https://t.co/spLXYLbNty
— Channel 3 News (@wcax) January 22, 2026
Road Commissioner Kari Bradley told WCAX the hay bales extend into the town’s right-of-way and violate a longstanding ordinance. He said Lilley could have sought a permit from the select board but did not.
“Even though the property is owned, in this case by Doug Lilley, the town’s always reserved the right-of-way so that they can maintain the roads and keep them safe,” Bradley said.
The town’s right-of-way ordinance exists to protect public safety by regulating what property owners place near roads and provides a permit application process, according to the town’s official website.
Bradley said he hopes Lilley removes the bales before the deadline. If not, the select board will determine the fine.
The Daily Caller has reached out to the Calais Highway Department for comment.