“Autonomous and devoid of remorse”

A New Zealand man, despite being filmed wielding a chainsaw, has denied being responsible for clearing an illegal track in a private forest.

What happened?

Stuart Biggs arrived at a locked gate in a forest on November 20, 2022, according to the New Zealand Herald. He claims he had entered the forest to inspect a property for sale, but after finding the agent was unavailable, he parked and continued on foot.

However, this explanation made no sense to Judge Jo Rielly in the Nelson District Court, particularly given the footage captured by the homeowner’s security cameras.

These cameras captured Biggs returning to his vehicle to remove his electric chainsaw. A Nelson reporter wrote that Biggs was then seen returning almost 40 minutes later, “taking off his rubber boots and emptying them, (and) rubbing himself with a towel.”

While Biggs and his attorney claimed he felled a tree across the road, an additional piece of evidence convinced Judge Rielly.

Body camera footage from Forestry Officer Robert Crawford, who visited Biggs the next day, recorded Biggs swearing and threatening Crawford.

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“I asked him about the damage and he laughed and asked me what the problem was,” Crawford said in court. And although Crawford had not initially intended to report Biggs to the police, the man’s behavior — which he described as “entitled and unremorseful” — changed his mind.

Why is this behavior harmful?

Tasman Pine Forests executive director Steve Chandler stressed that Biggs had put both legitimate users and the entire forest at risk through his actions.

He referenced the 2019 Pigeon Valley Fire, which was started by careless use of farm equipment. This wildfire destroyed more than 5,600 acres and caused millions of dollars in damage to their property alone, according to Chandler.

Deliberate mowing of vegetation is also extremely harmful to plants and animals, disrupting the entire ecosystem.

For this reason, Chandler warned, if Biggs “stepped foot” on their land again, they would take further legal action.

Equally frustrating situations have occurred recently in neighboring Australia. A Queensland homeowner was fined more than $95,000 for clearing more than a mile of protected forest to widen his driveway, and a group of wealthy Sydney homeowners cut down more than 500 trees just to improve their view of the ocean.

What do we do ?

Judge Rielly found Biggs guilty of willfully damaging vegetation and he was ordered to pay 1,366 New Zealand dollars ($836) in reparations to cover repairs to the area.

Additionally, visitors to any forest – legally protected or not – are encouraged to follow the principles of Leave No Trace to allow the environment to thrive for generations to come.

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