Jail sentences and fines to fight unlawful tree felling launched

Jail sentences and limitless fines are amongt a package deal of recent powers to be launched as a part of a crackdown on unlawful tree felling in England, the Division for Atmosphere, Meals and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Forestry Fee introduced at present (Friday, December 23).

Delivered as a part of the Atmosphere Act, adjustments to the Forestry Act 1967 will ship extra enforcement choices. The important thing adjustments are:

• Felling bushes with out a felling licence, the place one was required, will carry the penalty of a limiteless high quality – up from the present restrict of £2,500 or twice the worth of the bushes felled;
• Failure to adjust to a Forestry Fee Enforcement Discover and a subsequent court-ordered Restocking Order (that means any bushes felled have to be replanted) will put offenders susceptible to imprisonment, along with a limiteless high quality; 
• Restocking Notices and Enforcement Notices can be listed on the Native Land Fees Register, making them seen to potential patrons of the land – doubtlessly decreasing the land’s worth.

The Forestry Fee mentioned landowners have been identified to fell bushes with out a license in place, in readiness to just accept the high quality if they’re caught and penalised, to repurpose the beforehand wooded land for business causes.

These new powers, it mentioned, will curb this unlawful follow, streamline and strengthen forestry enforcement administration and serve to guard England’s bushes, woodlands and forests.

The most important high quality issued lately following a report of unlawful tree felling to the Forestry Fee came about in Hailsham, East Sussex, in January 2020. Hastings Magistrates Courtroom issued a high quality of just about £15,000 for the felling of 12 oak bushes, all roughly 150 years outdated.

Forestry Minister Trudy Harrison mentioned: “Felling bushes with out a licence is against the law and may trigger irreparable hurt – scarring landscapes, damaging habitats for wildlife, and inflicting misery for native communities.

“These sturdy measures, carried out as a part of our world-leading Atmosphere Act, empower the Forestry Fee to sort out the problem head-on with limitless fines and custodial sentences for the worst offenders. 

“At present’s announcement demonstrates this authorities’s dedication to defending our valuable bushes, that are on the forefront of our efforts to bend the curve of biodiversity loss, sort out local weather change and obtain internet zero.” 

Forestry Fee chief govt, Richard Stanford, mentioned the brand new powers written into legislation should assist finish the “blight” of unlawful tree felling.

“Authorized tree felling is a part of regular forest operations and important to make sure a sustainable timber provide and these areas are restocked with new bushes. The Forestry Fee won’t hesitate to analyze allegations of unlawful tree felling,” he mentioned.

“As soon as reported, our prime precedence is to verify the hurt brought on by the felling is put proper by guaranteeing bushes are replanted wherever doable. In circumstances which advantage it, we’ll at all times search prosecution.

“These new powers will hit folks the place it hurts – of their wallets. By guaranteeing that unlawful felling is not a financially viable choice for offenders, these measures are a major step ahead within the struggle towards this offence and can assist in our endeavours to struggle the local weather emergency and nature disaster.”