Between 300 and 400 trees, mainly 30-year-old oaks and firs, have been illegally cut in recent weeks in Ariège.
This was indicated by the Foix prosecutor's office on Thursday, March 18, which opened an investigation for "
thefts with damage and in a meeting
".
Read also: Mapping of the French forest
"
These facts are unacceptable
" and "
affect both the property of those who are victims of it and the common good that represents a thirty-year-old forest for each of those who enjoy walking there
", underlines the prosecutor. de Foix in a press release.
"
Besides the flora, the fauna will also necessarily be impacted by these facts
", insisted Laurent Dumaine, promising a legal response "
as firm as what the law allows
".
In the town of Perles-et-Castelet, between January 8 and February 28, several individuals noted that their plots were deforested without their authorizations.
To date, twelve victim owners have been identified and have filed a complaint.
“
Reconciliations are underway with other facts that have occurred in other parts of the department or in neighboring departments.
In addition, the investigations are directed towards a company whose screen-printed vehicles were seen near the place of the facts and in a time close to their commission
”, according to the magistrate.
In view of the environmental impact of the acts committed, the Foix public prosecutor's office dedicated “
significant resources
to this investigation
and likely to be reinforced in the days to come, in particular by the joint referral of a specialized investigation service.
".