ROCKPORT, Maine — A state board is scheduled to vote Feb. 27 on a consent agreement with a Brooklyn, New York, man accused of poisoning his nonagenarian neighbor’s trees to improve his view of the harbor.
The agreement is nearly identical to one rejected nearly a year ago by the Maine Board of Pesticide Control with Stephen Antonson, who owns 9 Mechanic St.
“The Board voted unanimously to disapprove the Agreement due, in part, to language in the Agreement stating that Antonson did not admit to the violations and disputed the facts and conclusions of the BPC,” a memo on the Feb. 27 agenda item states. “In the subsequent discussions between BPC and Antonson’s legal counsel, they agreed to update the Agreement with language indicating that, even though he continues to dispute the Board’s conclusions and not admit guilt, Antonson acknowledges that a court could find that he committed the violations and he agrees to enter into this Consent Agreement for the purpose of resolving the alleged violations.”
In addition, he has already sent a check for $3,000 to the Board of Pesticide Control.
“Board staff believes that this updated language and submission of the maximum penalty amount allowed at the time of the violation provide the public with a reasonably agreeable resolution to this matter, given the constraints of state regulations at the time the violation was committed, as well as considerations of BPC staff resources spent on this matter. Furthermore, the updated Agreement does not shield Mr. Antonson from possible civil action. Board staff believes that recent state legislation that greatly increased fines for committing similar violations should help deter anyone else from this manner of pesticide misuse,” the staff memo states.
The Maine Legislature approved LD 1697 in 2025 a bill to increase fines to $10,000 per violation except in cases where the offender benefited substantially from the illegal application. The bill was sponsored by Reps. Vicki Doudera, D-Camden; and William Pluecker, an independent from Warren.
At the February 2025 meeting, board members rejected an agreement.
“This was egregious,” board member Curtis Bohlen said last year. “This doesn’t feel right.”
Board member Bob Carlton said the proposed agreement was a slap in the face to the person he violated. The board directed that the state at least get an admission of guilt from Antonson.
Board staff advised board members that even if the matter were referred to the Maine attorney general, the penalty would not be any larger. Members suggested the Legislature increase the possible penalties.
The 2022 poisoning involved five to six trees on property at 11 Mechanic St. owned by Ruth Graham, who died in February 2024 at the age of 95.
The two homes sit close together, perched above the east side of Rockport Harbor, with their properties sloping down to the water. Mechanic Street winds past multimillion-dollar homes with gracious grounds and sunset water views before turning into Beauchamp Point, a popular walking area.
The case began in October 2022 when a Maine Forest Service entomologist noticed declining tree health, large drill holes and curling leaves at the Graham property.
The affected trees were limited to a distinct corridor on the side of Graham’ property facing the water and directly in line with the deck of the Antonson residence. Herbicide application was suspected.
Rockport Code Enforcement Officer Scott Bickford said the town initially looked into the matter, before state authorities took over the investigation.
Pesticides Control Board representatives conducted an inspection and collected samples of a liquid present in the bore holes of the affected trees. The samples were positive for Imazapic and Triclopyr, common herbicides.
After the chair of the Rockport Parks and Beautification Committee contacted the Pesticide Control Board to report additional tree decline on the Graham property, a representative returned to the property and observed a distinct circular “disturbance” around the base of each newly affected tree. Three soil samples were collected and tested positive for Triclopyr.
“While Antonson denies any involvement,” the board wrote of its findings, “the positioning of the affected trees in addition to prior correspondence from the Antonsons to the Grahams requesting tree removal indicate that Antonson would have been the only one to benefit from the application of herbicides to the affected area.”
According to the state, Antonson had asked Graham if he could remove the trees. She declined, and later the trees showed signs of poisoning, which promoted the investigation.
Antonson has owned his property since 2017. His primary home is in New York, according to Rockport assessment records.
Graham’s son, Eric Grubman, said last year the agreement reached by the state did not call for Antonson to repair the damage done.
“This is nuts,” Grubman said last year of the agreement.
He said that even before Antonson purchased his home, the broker had contacted Ruth Graham to see if she would be interested in cutting down some of her trees to improve the view of the harbor from 9 Mechanic St. Letters from Antonson’s children were sent to Graham after they had bought the neighboring home, asking if the trees could be cut.
She declined each request.
Grubman said his mother was blind and did not notice the trees were dying. Grubman said he noticed when visiting.
This story appears through a media partnership with Midcoast Villager.