The forests were purchased in 1899 on the advice of then mayor Visart de Bocarmé, via the Civil Almshouses, the predecessor of the OCMW. “It was an investment that had to yield a return through logging,” says mayor Dirk De fauw. “That yield is still there today.”
For management, the OCMW collaborates with the Walloon Département de la Nature et des Forêts. “We are responsible for logging, replanting and maintenance, so that the forest remains in good condition,” says Jean-Claude Adam of DNF.