Tree Conservation Areas are large urban areas in Singapore in which no tree with a girth above 1 metre when measured 50 centimetres from the ground may be felled without permission from the National Parks Board . There are currently two such areas, namely:

• The area bounded by the Pan Island Expressway, Clementi Road , Pasir Panjang Road , Telok Blangah Road , Kampung Bahru Road , Lower Delta Road , the Ayer Rajah Expressway, Alexander Road , River Valley Road , Clemenceau Road , Fort Canning Road , Orchard Road, Princept Street , Selegie Road , Dunearn Road , Whitley Road , Mount Pleasant Road , Thomson Road , and Lornie Road .

See: Map of area

• The area bounded by Netheravon Road , Cranwell Road , Loyang Avenue , Loyang Way , Upper Changi Road North and Changi Village Road .

See: Map of area

Illegal felling of Hopea sangal

On 20 November 2002, a large tree was chopped down by a property management company, DTZ Debenham Tie Leung . The tree in question, however, was a Hopea sangal , or Chengal pasir tree, a rare tree reputed to have given Changi its name. In addition, the tree was standing in a tree conservation area, which forbids any unauthorised felling of a tree with a girth above 1 metre. The tree in question had a girth of 3.4 metres.

Public sentiment against the felling was high, and the courts imposed a S$8,000 fine on the company for the offence, which has a maximum fine of S$10,000. The company was also ordered to pay S$76,035 to the state in compensation for the felling.

Nature groups and concerned citizens were determined to ensure that this episode became a lesson to be learnt for others. In September 2003, the logs which has been cut down were recovered and transformed into sculptures. A major educational drive, called "The Hopea sangal Tree: Sculpture Symposium", was organised by the The Sculpture Society (Singapore) in partnership with the National Parks Board and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts , and with the support of the Nature Society (Singapore) and the Urban Redevelopment Authority, representing a government-NGO combined effort to raise awareness towards the conservation of trees.

External links

• Tree conservation areas in Singapore
• Hopea sangal felled
• The Hopea sangal Tree: Sculpture Symposium