It devastated a Patagonian myrtle forest and will have to pay almost 67 million pesos

The intervention of heavy machinery and chainsaws on land located in the coastal area led to one of the harshest economic hardships in recent years in the mountain region. After an exhaustive inspection at the site, the authorities confirmed the destruction of protected flora and the progress of works without any type of official endorsement. From the Misdemeanor Court of Villa La Angostura they ratified the finality of the sanction and explained that the technical reports incorporated into the file were lapidary. As detailed by the courts spokespersons, the specialists described the event as permanent punctual environmental damage due to the enormous severity of the alterations caused to the fragile balance of the Andean forest. The cost of destroying nature The discovery of the clearing set off all the alarms in the local municipality. The inspectors who toured the property verified the opening of an internal road and soil movements that affected an area of ??more than 1,300 square meters. This entire deployment was carried out in absolute secrecy and without presenting the corresponding documentation to public offices. The result of this furtive incursion was devastating for the vegetation in the area. The minutes drawn up documented the illegal extraction of fifteen adult myrtle trees and four young coihues. When describing the scenario, judicial sources indicated that many other native trees were left with their roots completely exposed and warned about the very high risk of death that the flora faces after the deep excavations carried out on the property. Economic punishment and obligatory repair Faced with the magnitude of the damage, the Municipal Court of Misdemeanors decided to apply the full rigor of current regulations, declaring the owners jointly responsible for multiple infractions. The sum of the offenses for environmental damage, felling of protected species, disobedience to previous injunctions and urban planning irregularities resulted in an exact penalty of 66,950,000 pesos. The court ruling forces offenders to go much further than simply paying the financial fine. The court was categorical in maintaining that the owners of the lot "must comply with all the remediation and recomposition tasks determined by the Environmental Directorate", a directive that seeks to guarantee that the intervened land recovers at least part of its original physiognomy and vitality. To ensure compliance with this comprehensive restoration, the ruling imposes non-negotiable demands. Those responsible will have to acquire and plant twenty new specimens of native species under the strict supervision of the technical teams. The authorities announced that they will maintain constant monitoring of the property and will demand the unrestricted entry of inspectors until they verify that each point of the measure imposed to mitigate the ecological impact is respected.