California Couple Fined $18,000 for Bulldozing Iconic Joshua Trees The authorities say they hope the fine will deter people from harming the trees, which are protected under the California Endangered Species Act. A portion of the 36 Joshua trees that were unearthed during an investigation in San Bernardino County, Calif. Credit...California Department of Fish and Wildlife June 30, 2021Updated 6:34 p.m. ET A California couple who mowed down 36 protected Joshua trees to clear their land for a new house have been fined $18,000, a punishment the authorities hope will discourage others from uprooting the iconic desert plants. A nearby landowner reported seeing Jeffrey Walter and Jonetta Nordberg-Walter bulldoze the land and bury the trees in a hole in February, the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement on Tuesday.