Totally. The tree I was referring to was at least three hundred years old, and had survived a road being built by it. Then the local government decided to pave the path so it got hardly any rain.

There is also a tree near me which has barely grown in thirty years due to close planting and most of the area near it being paved.

▲

pvaldes 11 hours ago | parent [-]

And the local government should had been sued for that.

▲

dotancohen 11 hours ago | parent [-]

By whom?

That's an honest question. Who represents the trees in human society? Do they have recognised authority?

	▲	pvaldes 10 hours ago \| parent [-]
		By whom has the obligation to enforce laws in a country; Normally called the executive branch of the government. Environmental crimes are still crimes, as is damaging public property. Trees have an economic value attached. Destroying, lets say, $50,000 of public property should raise some eyebrows at least. Unless some exceptions apply, the neighbors suffered a damage in the value of their real state. Specially if is proven than the wood was stolen and its money was pocketed by some private actor.