Government agency limits the number of trees eligible for 'veteran' status. Without this status, invaluable trees lose funding towards their care and protection.
As explained in a press release by the 'Mouvement Ecologique' (MECO) on Monday morning, in 2018 a designated list of veteran trees was created by the government's Nature and Forest Agency. Foresters were consulted to decide which trees should receive this special status in 2018 which would provide them financial aid. These 535 trees were granted this protection status due their particular characteristics which include unique growth habit, diameter, age, species or connection to a historical event or person.
However, in a newly arranged consultation, foresters were asked to limit the number of veteran status trees by the Nature and Forest Agency. In a sharp critique, MECO considers this move "unjustifiable." According to the environmental organisation, this blanket measure does not adequately value the precious nature of these trees, and they call for a renewal of the consultation process.
