WHEN Mr Foo Suan Pin got a contractor to chop down three fruit trees in his garden in the Holland Road area in September 2007, it did not occur to him that he was committing a crime.

But in February this year, he was slapped with a $6,000 fine after he submitted a plan to the authorities for approval of construction works to his house.

The reason? He had removed trees in a tree conservation area.

'I decided to cut the trees because they looked sickly and were infested with red ants, and the leaves were clogging up the gutters,' Mr Foo, 52, told The Sunday Times.

'Before this, I had not even heard of a tree conservation area. I thought I could remove the trees because they were in my own private property.'

Under the Parks and Trees Act, you can't fell any tree with a girth exceeding 1m growing on any land within a designated tree conservation area, or on any vacant land, except with the approval of the National Parks Board (NParks).

There are two designated tree conservation areas in Singapore. One covers the Tanglin-Bukit

Timah-Pasir Panjang area and the other is in Changi. They were chosen because of the large number of clusters of mature trees and wooded areas there.

Offenders pay a composition fine of $2,000 to NParks but can also be fined up to $50,000 if charged in court.

Singapore also has what are known as heritage trees - mature trees within and outside the tree conservation areas - that are protected by law. These trees are noted for their historical value and contribution to Singapore's landscape.

Read the full story in The Sunday Times.