Farmer is fined half a million reais for destroying native forests A farmer from Ponta Grossa, city of Campos Gerais do Paraná, was fined more than half a million reais for destroying native forests to make room for plantations in two areas of a property located in the rural district of Itaiacoca. According to the Military Environmental Police, in total around 36.4 hectares were deforested, that is, 364 thousand m² — equivalent to the area of ??more than 50 football fields. Damage to native vegetation was done in Permanent Preservation Areas (APP), inside the Devonian Escarpment Environmental Protection Area (APA). The farmer's name was not released. ? Follow the g1 PR channel on WhatsApp "As the person responsible for the property did not have environmental authorization to carry out the interventions, two environmental infraction notices were drawn up, totaling R$ 542 thousand in fines", says the corporation. The incident was carried out on Friday (10). In addition to the administrative sanctions, the farmer was also notified to appear at the Water and Land Institute (IAT), where he must formalize a Degraded Area Recovery Project (PRAD). The police also claim that he will be criminally liable for the environmental damage found. "During the inspection, it was found that the plant species affected by the damage include assa-peixe (Vernonanthura), fern (Blechnaceae), evergreens (Eriocaulaceae), broom (Grazielia intermedia), Lent flower (Chaetogastra herbacea) and lavoisiera (Lavoisiera pulchella), among other native species." Read also: Weather forecast: Paraná starts the week with -0ºC and should end with 34ºC; see where Understand: Woman receives threats against her family, pays R$10,000 to criminals and discovers that she was extorted by her own brother Femicide: Videos show the despair of neighbors who tried to save a woman from being killed by her partner inside a locked house Property is in Ponta Grossa (PR) Environmental Military Police ?Rules for cutting trees in Paraná The legislation of the Water and Land Institute (IAT), linked to the Government of Paraná, determines that the cutting of exotic forest species — such as pine, eucalyptus, Japanese grape, chinaberry, among others — does not require any type of prior authorization, unless the trees are in a permanent preservation area. The cutting or suppression of native species — such as araucaria, for example — requires environmental authorization, regardless of where the trees are located. See how to request authorization on the IAT website Most watched videos on g1 Paraná: Read more news on g1 Paraná