Man chopped down area of trees the size of 12 football pitches in Gower AONB
Eight hectares of woodland within the Gower area of Outstanding Natural Beauty have been illegally felled by a landowner in what has been described as "the worst offence of its kind seen for 30 years".
Jeff Lane felled more than eight hectares of native and wet woodland to the north of Ilston - the equivalent of 12 football pitches - without holding an appropriate licence.
He was found guilty at Swansea Magistrates' Court of breaching section 17 of the Forestry Act, along with noncompliance with an enforcement notice to restock trees which he had previously felled in 2019. It's understood he has appealed the conviction.
Investigating officers for Natural Resources Wales (NRW) first attended the site in 2019, following a report of illegal felling, where 71-year-old Lane, of Carter's Ford, Lower Fairwood, Swansea, was found to have exceeded the limitations of his thinning licence and clear felled 2.9 hectares of trees.
A warning notice was issued to restore the site and Lane was advised not to carry out any further felling. But in September, 2020, officers received aerial photos taken by the Gower Society and undertook investigations which established that a further 457m³ of woodland - the equivalent to more than 20 lorry loads of timber - had been felled.
The trees were felled using tree shears for the production of biomass. Many were uprooted and damaged to an extent where they are unlikely to regenerate, with officers noting it was "the worst offence of illegal felling they had seen for 30 years".
Woodland loss is 'devastating'
Forest regulation team leader for NRW, Callum Stone, said: “Trees are incredibly important for the environment and wildlife, as part of the landscape and for our own health and wellbeing.
“The loss of this native and wet woodland is devastating and it will take many generations for new trees to grow to replace them, if they grow at all. Like many things in our environment, trees are often taken for granted.
"Felling licences are part of the system we have in place so we can manage our trees and woodlands effectively, protecting them and making sure they continue to benefit us all now and into the future.”
NRW is now pursuing a Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) confiscation order which seeks to obtain the financial benefit that the defendant has gained from his criminal conduct. This was the first time POCA has been used in forestry in the UK.
The case was sent to Swansea Crown Court for sentencing, and Lane will next appear there on May 17.
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