The Rest of the Story.

[Via Penner] Here's more on the story about the guy who cut down the tree bearing the purported apparition of Mary. Apparently, he didn't own the tree; it was on property owned by the Alta Irrigation District, which decided not to press charges. Further, it appears that his distaste isn't really directed against Catholics; it's directed against non-whites and Jews. According to this Fresno Bee article:

It's an area where neighbors know one another well, and everyone knows Bill Gaede. He owns cattle, shoes horses and isn't quiet about the fact that he doesn't like Jews or nonwhites.
An atheist, he particularly didn't like the road clogged with Mexican people looking at a vision of the Virgin Mary when he drove by in his pickup with the swastika flag.
Gaedes' wife, Dianne, said the flag just flies the symbol they use as a cattle brand, and they don't think of it as the Nazi symbol.
"It's just defiant. It's an Indian fertility sign around for thousands of years, and no law in the world says we can't have it for a brand."

This guy uses a swastika to brand cattle?

Ok. That's different. Arrest him.

Just joking. Clearly, the Irrigation District could have had him arrested for trespass. [And can sue him for treble damages for injuring timber under the Civil Code section 3346.] Mr. Gaede is clearly a kook, but while trespass and property destruction are crimes, being a kook isn't.