FDOT investigating tree 'slaughter' near Miami highway

Driving the news: On Aug. 17, an environmental activist posted a video to Instagram showing a tree trimming company loading up freshly cut trees onto a trailer at 652 NW 31st St.

• Prior to the removals, Northwest Sixth Court near Northwest 31st Street was lined with trees.

The latest: After the activist said he reported the incident to the Florida Department of Transportation, the agency tells Axios it is "actively investigating."

• Spokesperson Maria Rosa Higgins Fallon wrote in an email that the agency "did not issue a permit for the removal of 10 mature Mahogany trees along I-95, and the activity is unrelated to any current FDOT project."

What they're saying: Miami Commissioner Christine King tells Axios that she began looking into the "slaughter of these trees" after residents contacted her.

• "We learned the property is under FDOT's jurisdiction and that these trees, some nearly as old as the highway itself, were cut down illegally," she wrote in a statement. "We have a license plate and are working with FDOT to identify who is responsible."
• She called for "severe penalties" for whoever is responsible and that the trees be replaced.