A cluster of eucalyptus trees measuring more than 15 centimetres in diameter at a point of 130 centimetres above ground was illegally cut down at Pyrgos beach in Limassol last Saturday, amid unauthorised construction work that has damaged local sand dune ecosystems.
The incident, first reported by environmental organisation Terra Cypria, involved heavy machinery conducting earthworks on state-owned coastal land, significantly impacting the area’s sand dune ecosystem.
The Department of Forests reported that the owner of adjacent land parcels had submitted an application for land clearance and change of use for his private plots.
The department noted that some eucalyptus pruning had occurred, which it deemed legal under Forest Law provisions that allow branch or treetop removal for tree maintenance purposes without requiring permits.
However, Terra Cypria has challenged the Department of Forests’ and the Department of Environment’s assessment, arguing that the department is attempting to downplay the severity of the situation by referring to “pruning” rather than tree removal.
The environmental group criticised the department for failing to address the levelling of sand dunes, loss of natural habitats, and removal of rare and threatened wild flora species.
The environmental organisation further contested that any tree cutting or pruning on state-owned coastal land, particularly involving heavy machinery in an ecologically sensitive area, constitutes an illegal activity under current Forest Legislation.
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