Quito Fines One Offender $1 Million for Native Tree Deforestation

The Metropolitan Control Agency (AMC) in Quito has imposed a staggering $1,036,300 in fines on a single individual for the illegal felling of native trees and unauthorized earth movements. These penalties are a result of the destruction of 210 native trees across three properties in the Guamaní parish, located in the southern part of the capital.

The most recent sanction, amounting to $674,800, was levied after the agency documented the damage to 140 trees in the San Isidro Labrador sector. Technical inspections revealed the use of heavy machinery, including dump trucks, a tractor, and excavators, to clear land, remove vegetation, and uproot indigenous species like sacha capulí and pumamaqui. Reports confirmed irreversible damage to the trees' branches, trunks, and roots.

This substantial fine follows a previous penalty of $337,400 imposed in June for the felling of an additional 70 trees on an adjacent property. A third resolution added a $24,100 fine for irregular earth movement on a third property in the La Dolorosa sector.

The affected lands are part of the Pichincha-Atacazo Special Intervention and Recovery Area (AIER), designated for ecological protection and the conservation of natural heritage. Gustavo Chiriboga M., a metropolitan supervisor for the AMC, stated that such deforestation directly impacts biodiversity, destabilizes the soil, and diminishes the regenerative capacity of sensitive ecosystems.

Beyond the monetary penalties, the offender is mandated to replant 10 native trees for every one felled, totaling at least 2,100 trees. This reforestation effort must adhere to the specifications outlined in the Technical Manual for Urban Tree Management. The municipality emphasized that even trees on private property cannot be cut or pruned without explicit authorization in protected zones.

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This type of felling directly impacts biodiversity, alters soil stability, and reduces the regenerative capacity of sensitive ecosystems.