Someone who apparently didn't agree with a recent change to a south Minneapolis trail cut 28 saplings and lobbed them over a bluff on the Mississippi River, authorities said.

The trees, planted just three weeks ago along an eroding part of Winchell Trail on the Mississippi near West River Parkway and 46th Avenue S., cost the city $90 each, for a total of $2,520.

The 6-foot saplings were cut and tossed over a railing within the past week. The trees were among the finishing touches on a multi-year improvement on the trail. Park officials think the vandal or vandals wanted to reclaim part of the old trail lost to the improvement plan.

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board rerouted part of the trail, put up a railing and planted 160 trees, including sugar maple, basswood and oak, in an area where erosion would be expensive to fix.

At first moving the trail was a heated issue, but planners eventually agreed that change was necessary to avoid further erosion along the bluff, said Irene Jones, river corridor program director with Friends of the Mississippi River.

"I think whoever did this, they see this as kind of taking the right of way that was available to people," Jones said. "But it's really so we don't lose more park."

If the Park Board decides to replace the trees, replanting will cost more per tree (because only 28 will be planted instead of 160) and will probably occur in the fall, said Nick Eoloff, project manager.

Alex Ebert • 612-673-4264