Environmental Impact Assessment: Taiwan’s tree policy contradictionThe government is spending billions to expand forest cover, yet the felling of mature trees in Kaohsiung has left critics asking why protection, consultation and proper arborist review remain so weakBy Steven Crook / Contributing reporteAfforestation and reforestation have long been central to Taiwan’s environmental and climate policy. One of these places is a 3.5km-long strip of land beside Provincial Highway 29 in Daliao District (大寮). A self-congratulatory press release (Oct. 3, 2019) from the Environmental Protection Administration (now the Ministry of the Environment) reads: “Most of these trees have now matured into shady forests. Part of the government-subsidized Environmental Protection Forest Avenue near Cishan in Kaohsiung was cleared earlier this year. Contrasting what he thinks ought to happen with reality, Chiang laments that “in Taiwan, trees are often decapitated or cut overnight without any explanation.

Source: Taipei Times April 08, 2026 03:43 UTC