Millionaire faces massive fine after bulldozing over mile of waterway near home: 'Ecological vandalism on an industrial

"In truth, no amount of money will bring the habitats and species back."

By Mike Taylor
May 29, 2024



Photo Credit: Getty Images

If flood risk is your problem, the solution is not to remove trees and other wildlife habitat. Just ask this millionaire, who ended up behind bars for doing just that.

John Price, a wealthy U.K. farmer, landed a one-year jail sentence last year, The Independent reported, though he served only 11 weeks after the punishment was cut to 10 months. His crime was dredging the bed and removing trees along one mile of the River Lugg in Herefordshire, England, in 2020. He apparently did not learn from it, as he was fined again in January for having trees, including some as old as 50 years, cut down in 2022.

The second offense was not as serious as the previous one, and it resulted in a £2,060 judgment. Price felled 41.7 cubic meters of trees, more than eight times what is allowed by the Forestry Act 1967, the Hereford Times reported.

The River Lugg is a Site of Special Scientific Interest; Price said he was trying to prevent flooding on his and other properties during the offense for which he was jailed in 2023. He was ordered to pay £655,000 for restoration work and £600,000 in prosecution costs and was banned from being a company director for three years. He is reportedly worth £25 million.

Judge Ian Strongman of Kidderminster Magistrates Court said Price committed "ecological vandalism on an industrial scale" by creating "a canal devoid of life." The area is home to otters, kingfishers, trout, salmon, and other fauna.

More:
https://www.thecooldown.com/outdoors/millionaire-farmer-jail-river-lugg-flood-risk/






Nice work, dipstick.