The mayor of Paris, Jacques Chirac, has appointed a scientific committee
of six 鈥榳ise men鈥� to give an 鈥榠ndependent expert opinion鈥� on all questions
affecting trees in the French capital. The move is widely seen as an attempt
to defuse controversy over the cutting down of trees in Paris.
Increasingly, Parisians have been staging protest actions when trees
in their area are cut down to make way for new buildings or underground
car parks. The committee will supervise the management of the city鈥檚 existing
trees, advise on new species and disease control, and attempt to arbitrate
each time a tree is threatened by a bulldozer.
