Manuel Bautista, the Spanish forest operator who had illegally cut nearly four hundred trees in the department’s forests, was convicted of flights with degradation and destruction of wood by the Foix court.
The Foix Criminal Court sentenced, Tuesday, February 15, Manuel Bautista, a Spanish forest operator, at eighteen months of imprisonment, including nine months, for illegally cut nearly four hundred trees, of whom a hundred Centenary oaks, in the municipality of Peles-et-Castelet (Ariège), during the fall of 2020 and the winter 2021. The Tribunal stated that this sentence would not be convertible.
Fines of 40,000 euros for the Forestier on a personal capacity and 100,000 euros for his operating company were also pronounced. To this criminal condemnation are in addition to the damages for the thirteen people recognized civil parties. The Tribunal will decide on their amount on 26 April, but already requested that 63,000 euros, 4,000 euros per complainant, be paid as a provision. The civil parties evaluate their prejudice to nearly 200,000 euros.
“A cut tree, it does not replace at the lag of a man’s life, had observed the prosecutor at the hearing Tuesday, December 14, 2021. Their forest was beautiful, he remains of the Sirty earth, ruts and strains. This flight does not affect the complainants. He touches all those who like to walk in Ariège. “He had required two years imprisonment, including one with stay, 200,000 euros of fine Against the society of Mr. Bautista, as well as the prohibition of professional practice throughout the national territory. The Tribunal did not follow its requisitions on this last point.
“A real bourbier”
In February 2021, an inhabitant of the municipality of Peles-et-Castelet had alerted the mayor of the village on the presence of loggers who cut trees on parcels of individuals without authorization – centenary oaks, fir trees, spruce , beeches, maple, some chestnut trees and cherry trees. “You have taken the most beautiful trees,” said the president of the court.
In all, the gendarmes had identified twenty-eight plots concerned by the flights, but also ransacked streams – “a real bourbier”, they noted – stone walls destroyed by the gear and oil cans of dropped chainsaws. In August 2021, a new complaint had been deposited, at the Carcassonne Prosecutor, for a cup without authorization from thirty-seven fir trees in Aude.
The forest operator had been confused thanks to the geolocation of one of his trucks. At the hearing, attended by many civil parties, the defendant pleaded “the error” of his workers or subcontractors, saying that they had cut trees without waiting for his authorization. His lawyer indicated that he would appeal his conviction.