Navy-marked trees and unrepealed rights

Are surviving trees marked for naval use still owned by the Navy, and what happens if one is cut down?

The old legal rights appear to remain because the laws were never repealed, but the Navy rarely contests them and many trees are independently protected in forests or parks.

The exchange asks whether standing trees marked with the old Navy arrow remain naval property and what would happen if someone cut one down. The reported legal advice is that the underlying laws were never repealed, so a determined Navy challenge could create a serious dispute. In practice, the Navy generally does not contest such cases. Many surviving marked trees also stand in national forests or parks, where other layers of protection already apply. The answer distinguishes dormant legal power from routine enforcement and shows how centuries-old procurement rights can persist after their original strategic purpose has faded.