Hawke's Bay Regional Council operations engineering officer Vince Byrne, by the Tutaekuri River where people have been helping themselves to trees cut down to protect the bank.
People who cut down trees on river banks could face prosecution.
The warning comes from the Hawke's Bay Regional Council, which is concerned about the cutting and destruction of river edge flood protection trees around the region.
Operations engineering officer Vince Byrne said more people were targeting the protective trees
for firewood.
"The cutting of trees on river berm land is prohibited and HBRC will be taking stern measures to apprehend and prosecute the offenders."
People have been prosecuted in the past because the trees along the region's rivers are a primary defence in mitigating flood flows.
