In Australia, they are extremely aware of how important their natural ecosystems are, and therefore, have several national parks to protect them. So when one man cleared nearly eight acres of land in a national park, felling dozens of trees and putting the wildlife in jeopardy, he certainly paid the price.

While the entire area is considered a natural national treasure, visitors flock every year to see the majestic Mount Jerusalem National Park located along the mountain range.

Because of the wide variety of flora and fauna living in the park, Australia’s national parks system takes exceptionally good care of Mount Jerusalem, ensuring that it stays wild, but also safe for residents and tourists alike.

According to a report by The Echo, the man cut down around eight acres of vegetation and built a structure for his own use within the park. Both of which are completely illegal.

However, once he was charged, the judge at the Mullumbimby Local Court had little sympathy for the man’s alleged mistake. Instead, after charging the man, the judge sentenced him with an extremely hefty fine.

For these crimes, he received a $22,000 AUD ($14,600) fine, as well as two years of community correction orders, which are essentially mandates to perform hundreds of hours of community service as dictated by the court.

The NSW Area Manager, Jenny Atkins, explained, “This sends a strong and very clear message to people that before you clear land or cut down any trees or do any building work, even on your property, you should know where the property boundaries are.”

And the endangered black cockatoo is just one of the many highly valued species that call the Mount Jerusalem National Park home. Albert’s lyrebird and the red-legged pademelon also live there, as well as eastern water dragons, the sugar glider, and many more.

Deforestation is one of the leading causes of climate change and its consequences, including rising air and water temperatures. Trees are absolutely necessary for protecting the atmosphere from the excess carbon dioxide the human race is creating, and without them, or even with fewer of them, we will be in a great deal of trouble sooner than later.

As Atkins explained, “Trees are highly valued in the Byron Shire and their removal, without permission, is not tolerated by NPWS, or the broader community.”

Atkins warned all readers: “You should always check with the local council to see what is allowed and what is not.”

In fact, one millionaire from the UK decided to dredge a river running along his property, decimating the river’s natural composition and putting several wildlife species and even his neighbors at risk.

The long and ancient river provides homes for a variety of wildlife, including crayfish, trout, salmon, otters, and dozens of species of birds.

Price used heavy machinery to dredge the river bed, remove the natural gravel, and clear trees and vegetation along his side of the river bank.

And when questioned, he claimed that he was trying to protect his own land as well as his neighbors from flooding.

By removing the vegetation and the natural forming gravel on the river bed, he actually made his and the other nearby properties more susceptible to flooding.

Fortunately, they had caught Price in the act of destroying the River Lugg, so they had plenty of photographs to prove his guilt.

They continued, “Fish, plants, native crayfish, and birds may take years to make a gradual return to previous populations.”

The judge ordered Price to pay a whopping £655,000 ($837,000) for restoration work and £600,000 ($766,700) in prosecution costs. He was also sentenced to one year in prison and was banned from acting as a company director for three years.

And because Price is reportedly worth more than $25 million, the nearly $1 million fine certainly didn’t ruin his life.

Shortly after being released from prison, he went right back out there and cut down another group of trees along the edge of the River Lugg.

But this story, like the others, really isn’t about the money. It’s about the blatant destruction of the natural world for personal gain.

And the chief operating officer at Natural England also noted, “The decimation of this section of the River Lugg has been devastating to the local environment and to local people, destroying the habitats of iconic wildlife such as otters, kingfisher and salmon. It was heartbreaking to see this beautiful riverside illegally damaged.”

Sometimes, it feels as though there is little we can do to stop climate change from happening, but one simple and surefire way to protect the planet is to leave it as it is. Let the natural and wild world stay that way, and it will continue to function as it should.