Woman who spent week in tree charged with trespassing

A Columbia woman who spent a week in a tree to protest the city’s plans to build a trail through a private nature area has been charged with trespassing.

Sutu Forte was charged with first-degree trespassing on Monday.

Forte began her protest at the end of October, she stayed in one of 40 trees that was scheduled to be removed to build a path through a property.

She was removed by a fire truck in the first week of November after she defied a court order to climb down.

She’s scheduled to go to court next week.