The Foes of Toll Road Show That Opposition Is Heartfelt : Tradition: Trees they say may be destroyed by Laguna Canyon construction are decorated with paper hearts.

Clutching dozens of shiny red paper hearts, Beth Leeds and other environmentalists kept up an annual tradition Monday by decorating Laguna Canyon Road’s towering sycamore and oak trees with tokens of their affection.

But for Leeds, the hearts also symbolize her opposition to the San Joaquin Hills tollway that canyon lovers say will ruin the area’s pristine beauty and destroy many of the trees that are at least a century old.

“We’re doing this all week long, because we want every tree to have a heart,” Leeds said, and then quickly added: “But the trees already have hearts--we’re just showing them off.”

Leeds, a member of the Canyon Coalition, and other environmentalists are fiercely opposed to the 17-mile San Joaquin Hills tollway, which will cut a swath through the environmentally sensitive canyon. For six years, she and others have been decorating the trees around St. Valentine’s Day.

Critics have tried to block the bulldozing with lawsuits and protests but the Transportation Corridor Agencies has vowed to complete the project.

Leeds alleged Monday that the tollway agency has violated numerous construction permits, such as failing to provide measures to prevent flooding and mudslides. The violations, Leeds contends, led to recent mudslides that caused at least $400,000 in damages to the city of Laguna Beach. City officials have said they intend to file a claim against the tollway agency over the damages.

Transportation officials, however, contend the tollway project did not cause the mudslides and question whether the allegations are being made by disgruntled tollway critics.

“There are no permit violations,” said tollway agency spokeswoman Lisa Telles. “I think what is happening is that people who are opposed to the project have been making these allegations.”

The allegations have helped spur a series of meetings between agencies issuing the permits and the Transportation Corridor Agencies in the wake of the storms and flooding, but Telles said she is not aware of any evidence that permit standards are being violated.

“Obviously, (the agencies that issued the permits) are interested in how everything held up during the rain,” Telles said. “It’s not uncommon.”

Leeds said construction permit agencies and the California Coastal Commission are looking into the allegations and will tour the construction sites today. Leeds and tollway opponents plan to attend. Telles said she was unaware of a meeting scheduled for today.

“I’m opposed to them getting away with building the corridor by committing all these violations,” Leeds said “There are laws, and they are breaking them.”