JUPITER, Fla. (AP) - A Palm Beach County couple's decision to chop down 109 mangroves from their property along the Loxahatchee River may cost them $1.6 million.
    
Magistrate Paul Nicoletti on Wednesday ordered Roger and Myrna Byrd to pay the town of Jupiter $15,000 per tree.
    
The Palm Beach Post (http://bit.ly/wJQ3xb ) reports the Byrds didn't have proper state and town permits when they cleared the mangroves. The couple turned down an offer from Jupiter officials to pay $1,000 per tree.
    
Attorney Greg Kino says his clients will appeal the ruling.
    
The Byrds still face a potential $43,100 fine from the state Department of Environmental Protection for chopping down the mangroves.
    
The spindly trees act as a nursery for sea life and reduce erosion. They have been protected by the state since 1985.
    
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Information from: The Palm Beach Post, http://www.pbpost.com

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