More than €44,000 in damages for illegal felling of 339 protected plantations in Rusnė

This year, on 24 November. On 24 November 2018, the Šilutė Chamber of the Tauragė District Court of Šilutė ruled on the illegal felling of 339 protected plantations on the island of Rusnė, in the coastal protection zone of the Atmata River. The Šilutė District Municipality Administration and the private limited company that carried out the work will have to compensate for the environmental damage of €44 410.13. The court's decision can be challenged.

In February 2021, officials of the Department of Environmental Protection received a report of plantations being cut down on Rusnė Island, in the coastal protection zone of the Atmata River. The investigation revealed that Rusnė Elderly Municipality, without the obligatory permit issued by the municipality, had organised tree and bush cutting works on the bank of the Atmata River.

The work was carried out by UAB „Bioauga“, which removed the plantations without checking whether the municipality was authorised to carry out such work. The environmental protection officers investigated and found that a total of 339 protected plants (ash, maple, elm, alder, linden, willow) had been cut down. The damage to the plantations amounts to EUR 44 410.13.

On the basis of the results of the study, the Department of Environmental Protection, in 2023–2024, addressed the Šilutė District Municipality Administration and UAB „Bioauga“, offering to compensate the damage caused to the environment in good faith. The municipality and the company refused to do so, which led to legal action.

On 24 November this year. On 24 November 2001, the Šilutė Chamber of the Tauragė District Court of Šilutė found that both the Šilutė District Municipal Administration and the company had acted illegally and that their actions were directly linked to the environmental damage caused.