Top court emphasizes protection of forest resources

The Supreme People's Court has directed judges nationwide to continue handing down harsh punishments against those who destroy forest resources.

The requirement was reaffirmed by China's top court ahead of National Ecology Day, which falls on Thursday.

It also disclosed details of four concluded environmental cases to highlight judicial efforts to protect the environment and beautify the country.

In one case, three people in Huishui county, Guizhou province, were given prison terms ranging from 42 months to 44 months after they were found to have cut down Masson pine trees without permission.

Two others who helped them transport the trees to mills for processing and sale received three-year sentences.

In addition, the criminals were ordered to restore the damaged environment by purchasing forestry carbon credits and paying for the planting of replacement trees.

"It's a typical case in which everyone involved in the forest destruction was severely penalized, whether they were destroyers or transporters," said Yang Di, a judge who specializes in tackling environmental cases at the top court.

"The crackdown on illegal transport while fighting deforestation was conducive to strengthening the protection of forest resources," she said, adding that the environmental restoration helped reestablish the dynamic balance of the regional ecosystem.

In the past few years, the Miyun District People's Court in Beijing has also ordered people who have damaged forests to repair them.

After finding a villager surnamed Qi had cut down chestnut trees in fields to grow food crops in October 2019, the Miyun court chose the land and time and ordered Qi to plant new trees. It also supported a fine previously imposed by the district landscaping bureau.

"Punishment is one thing. What's more important is to enhance the legal awareness of forest vandals to help them realize the severity of the destruction and learn the necessity of environmental remediation," the court said. "Only in this way can the environment be better protected and the ecology be balanced."

Data released by the Beijing High People's Court on Wednesday showed that courts across the city concluded 374 environmental cases last year, 84 of which were related to deforestation, illegal hunting and illegal fishing.

To increase the public's awareness of the importance of protecting the environment, many courts in the capital have established education centers or stations to introduce environmental laws and examples of related disputes in communities or parks, said Li Xuhui, vice-president of the high court, adding that they have also endeavored to improve the handling of such cases.

"A number of environmental specialists, for example, have become a think tank for the capital's No 4 Intermediate People's Court and Yanqing District People's Court to assist judges in improving the quality of case hearings," he said.

Last month, the Pinggu District People's Court set up a station at the Tianyun Mountain scenic spot, where tourists can learn about environmental laws and related issues.