Nature action groups win lawsuit against Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature | No Clearcutting as a forest management measure

Press release 20 December 2024

‘End to the current Wild West situation in Dutch forests. A crucial victory for our forests and biodiversity’

In an important lawsuit against the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN), brought by seven nature action groups, the Gelderland court today ruled. In the appeal, they demanded that the Code of Conduct for Forest Species Management, established by the minister, be annulled. Their main objection concerned the clearcutting, included by the minister as a forest management measure so that forest managers can start their work faster and on a larger scale. This would be ‘necessary’ for the protection of flora and fauna. However, according to the nature groups, clearcutting causes major and irreversible damage to forests and biodiversity in the Netherlands. The court today declared the appeal filed by the nature groups well-founded. Since former State Secretary Henk Bleker withdrew subsidies for nature conservation,

forest management organisations such as Staatsbosbeheer, Natuurmonumenten and Provinciale Landschappen have been cutting down more forests to tighten their belts. The central question in this process was whether this may be included under the heading of nature conservation, as claimed by the ministry. The nature groups therefore asked the court to remove clear-cutting from the code of conduct.

Clear-cutting involves harvesting a large volume of wood in one go. This and the cut shrub layer and the branches and top wood can quickly be used to make money by selling it to the paper industry and biomass power stations. For this reason, the minister, under pressure from the forestry sector, included clear-cutting in the code of conduct, under the terms group and screen cutting.

I am very pleased that finally, after five years of struggle, the judge has now put an end to the forest code of conduct, a disastrous co-production by the forest owners and the Ministry of Agriculture, which promotes clear-cutting of the forest as protection of flora and fauna”
(Frits van Beusekom, Stichting Natuurbelang)

Forest logging always leads to emotion. Trees provide oxygen, help protect the soil and ensure clean air and, importantly, are therefore essential for the health of people, animals and nature. This ruling means the end of the current Wild West situation in the Dutch forest. This is a crucial victory for our forests and biodiversity
(Fenna Swart, Clean Air Committee)

Frits van Beusekom, Stichting Natuurbelang Nederland | +31 (0)6 153 9999 7
Fenna Swart, voorzitter Comité Schone Lucht | +31 (0)6 415 14 330
You can read the ruling via this link