Queenstown Man Pleads Guilty To Operating A Tree Expert Business Without A License In Queen Anne’s County

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CENTREVILLE - Michael King Gardner of Queenstown, MD pleaded guilty to Operating a Tree Expert Business Without a License in Queen Anne’s County District Court on February 12, 2007.

The charges were filed by the Maryland Natural Resources Police in November of 2006 related to a complaint received by the Maryland Forest Service, a division of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The complaint came from a citizen who alleged that his neighbor had hired Gardner to prune trees in the Critical Area to enhance his views of the water, but that many of the trees in question were on the Complainant’s property rather than the client’s. A check of departmental records showed that Gardner is not a Licensed Tree Expert and has no Licensed Tree Experts on staff. The department has documentation that Gardner has been aware of the requirements of licensure since Gardner June of 2005.
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February 21, 2007

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 449,000 acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 11 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov