Increased monitoring of forests
Rieti - The Carabinieri forest police have stepped up their checks in the forests of the province of Rieti. Two cases of illegal logging have been uncovered in the last few days.
In the Petrella Salto area, the police are investigating the managing director of a timber company for embezzlement. According to the investigators, the company had been awarded the contract for the logging of part of a community forest at a public auction. However, the man is said to have felled and removed around 160 cubic meters more wood than he was entitled to. The municipality, as the owner of the forest, was not informed of this. The contractor was reported to the responsible public prosecutor's office.
Heavy fine for illegal felling
The forest police report a second case from Rocca Sinibalda. There, a man had felled trees in a private forest without having obtained the necessary permission from the authorities. The officers imposed a fine of over 1,700 euros on him. The illegally felled wood - around 30 tons (300 quintals) - was confiscated.
