The Minister of Ecological Transition, Christophe Béchu, on Thursday called on the president of the Haute-Marne Departmental Council to consider
“alternatives”
to a contested tree felling project, fearing an
“attack on biodiversity”
.
“The imperative of road safety, to which I subscribe, cannot be the pretext for such an attack on biodiversity, even though alternatives can be considered,”
writes Mr. Béchu to Nicolas Lacroix, LR president of the department, in a letter consulted by AFP.
Mr. Lacroix announced last week that 4,000 trees would be examined with a view to possible felling, triggering an outcry from several associations.
He told AFP that only sick or dangerous trees would be felled, a decision that would be taken
“tree by tree”
.
“In some places, you don't have the width of a rear-view mirror between the road and the tree,”
he assured Tuesday.
In addition, some trees have grown so much that they also cause heavy deformations to the roadway, he said.
“It is not the trees which cause road accidents”
, underlines Christophe Béchu to the AFP saying
“(understand) the amazement of the associations and NGOs”
.
The minister recalls in his letter that the environmental code prohibits
“cutting down or damaging a tree (...) or radically modifying the appearance of one or more trees on a path or 'an alignment'
.
There are, however, exceptions, notably when
“the sanitary or mechanical state of the tree(s) presents a danger to the safety of people”
, it is written in the environmental code.
But this then requires a prior declaration to the prefecture, but
“no referral has been recorded to date”
by the prefecture, assures the minister.