S.L. 549.123 Art. 6Criteria for selection of important sites. S.L. 445.02.

Tree Protection Areas shall be based on criteria which include:

(a) Maltese characteristic woodland communities;

(b) trees or woodland communities which are rare, threatened, endangered or that have a reduced or restricted distribution in Malta;

(c) trees and woodland habitats critical to the survival, reproduction and recovery of endangered, threatened, vulnerable, endemic or otherwise important flora and fauna species;

(d) trees or woodland communities of scientific, ecological, aesthetic, historical, cultural, arboricultural, silvicultural, agricultural, educational or landscape interest;

(e) prominent landmark trees;

(f) historical trees listed in the List of Historical Trees having an Antiquarian Importance Order; or

(g) ex-situ live collections of rare, threatened or endangered specimens:

Provided that the Authority may establish an important site for any other specimen which merits protection: Provided further that for the terms of this regulation trees can mean a single specimen.