Tranås municipality in Sweden has been ordered to pay a corporate fine of 200,000 kronor for cutting down at least 20 hundred-year-old oaks in a protected area. The felling was discovered by the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation at the end of 2024 and is assessed to have caused significant damage to the natural environment. The oaks were located in Ekbergsparken in Tranås, an area covered by Natura 2000 protection.
Shortly before Christmas 2024, the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation noticed that about 20 oaks had been sawn down, reported it, and filed a police report. Prosecutor Jan-Olof Andersson states that the felling led to significant damage in the sensitive natural area. According to the investigation, the environmental crime was due to deficient administrative routines within the municipality, which allowed the felling to be carried out without necessary checks and permits.
The felling led to significant damage in the sensitive natural area.