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Seventeen trees that were removed in the right-of-way along Norton Road in Potomac will be replanted after environmentalists raised concerns.

A permit for the clearing was issued by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, though county officials say they were unaware of the cutting.

DNR issued the roadside tree permit last month to remove the trees, which were 12-inch to 30-inch cedars, mulberries, dogwoods and black locust trees, according to the permit. The clearing took place in right-of-way adjacent to property owned by Potomac residents Frank Islam and his wife, Debbie Driesman. The couple is building a residence near the intersection of River Road and Norton Road, and the trees needed to be removed in order for contractors to install a sewer line into the property, Driesman said.

Ginny Barnes, environmental chair of the West Montgomery County Citizens Association, a Potomac civic group, contacted County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) and state officials when she learned of the action. She said she has never seen such an extensive clearing of roadside trees in the area in her years as an environmental activist. In an e-mail to Leggett, she said some of the trees cut were Eastern red cedars, indigenous evergreen species that take years to reach the size of those that were cut.

"They are, quite frankly, irreplaceable," Barnes wrote. "We consider this a tragic and inexcusable loss to our community."

According to Marian Honeczy, urban and community forestry supervisor with the Maryland Forest Service, the permit was issued because the trees would have been damaged by the 10-foot ditch that was required to install the sewer line. The Maryland roadside tree law, she said, requires applicants to receive a permit from DNR and permission from the right-of-way owner before removing roadside trees.

"Our ranger went out to look at the site and from what I understand, spent quite a bit of time out there with the contractor trying to figure out how to save these trees," Honeczy said. "Based on the 10-foot ditch, it was mutually felt those trees wouldn't survive the construction."

However, she said the permit indicated that permission needed to be obtained from the owner of the right-of-way prior to the clearing. "The construction company misunderstood the permitting and cleared the trees when they were given the roadside tree permit," Honeczy said. "They had to wait for county approval. A mistake was made."

While Honeczy said the trees were in Montgomery County right-of-way, Esther Bowring, a county spokeswoman, said ownership of the trees remains unclear. The county is looking into exactly who owns the trees and from where permission should have been secured prior to the cutting. Nonetheless, she said, "The trees were cut down without county consent and without our knowledge."

Driesman said she was unaware of any problem. "As far as I know, the permits were all in order," she said. Some of the trees, she said, were dying or misshapen.

After being contacted by Barnes, Sen. Robert J. Garagiola (D-Dist. 15) of Germantown, pushed for the trees to be re-planted. Honeczy said a Forest Service ranger would help determine the best species of tree to plant.

"I'm glad to hear the new trees will be planted," Garagiola said. "That should be something that should be done in all cases like this in the future."

Neighbors have lauded the decision. "They did take down some of the old trees, but they are putting in new trees," said Norton Road resident Maria Parvizi. "If I had seen the trees cut and they were not trying to improve the landscaping, I would be very upset."