Sycamore Gap case is "Too serious" to be held at Magistrates Court
The district judge presiding over today's hearing said it must be sent to Crown Court
2 men are expected to appear before a Judge and Newcastle Crown Court later this summer - charged with the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree.
Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers - both in their 30s, from Cumbria - are both charged with 2 counts of criminal damage in connection with the cutting down of the iconic Northumberland tree.
Daniel Graham, 38, of Milbeck Stables, Carlisle, and Adam Carruthers, 31, of Church Street, Wigton, Cumbria, are accused of causing £622,191 worth of damage to the tree itself, and both are also accused of causing
£1,144 worth of damage to Hadrian's Wall, a Unesco World Heritage Site, which was hit by the falling tree when it was felled overnight on September 28.
Both the tree and the wall were said to belong to the National Trust.
Graham entered pleas of not guilty, while Carruthers entered no plea.
Both men walked into the court building with their faces covered but removed their masks for the 15-minute hearing at Newcastle Magistrates' Court.
District Judge Zoe Passfield declined jurisdiction, saying: "This case is too serious to be heard in the magistrates' court."
The pair will attend Newcastle Crown Court next month, and were released on bail.
Earlier, the judge said: "I am well aware that feelings are running high in respect to this case. Everyone, however, must remain silent."
During the hearing, Rebecca Brown, prosecuting, said that the tree was "instantly recognisable".
She said the cost of the damage to the tree was assessed using the Capital Asset Value for Amenity Trees (CAVAT) tool used by local authorities to work out the level of compensation needed to replace a tree.
Ms Brown said factors involved in the calculation involved the size of the tree, its type and the number of people who had access to it.
The lawyer said the loss of the tree had caused "serious distress", as well as economic and social damage.
The case was "complex" and involved cell site analysis, number plate recognition technology, botany, evaluation of the tree and "image enhancement", she said.