The occupation of the Sterrebos has had no effect on the nature compensation deal that was concluded on Tuesday between VDL Nedcar and the action group De Groene Sporenwolf (DGS).
That is what secretary Dirk-Jan van der Hoven of DGS indicated on Tuesday evening in L1mburg Central.
‘Separate from each other’
According to the secretary, the agreement had already been ‘completed’ when the environmental activists climbed the trees of the Sterrebos. However, this could not be stated before, says Van der Hoven: “It is a complicated and precarious process, in which radio silence is very important. You agree on that.”
“During the last conversations, the action had not yet started,” says Van der Hoven. “It’s completely separate from it.” While he notes that the environment has been brought to the attention by the activists’ initiative, he says it is not necessarily about people fighting for the region. “We also have to be honest: if the widening of the A27 had continued, most activists would probably be in the trees in Amelisweerd now.”
‘Mixed feelings’
According to Van der Hoven, the major benefit of the agreement is that millions of euros extra in nature compensation will be released. “This way a buffer can be created between Nieuwstadt and VDL Nedcar in particular.”
However, there is also a great loss to be made now that the forest will disappear. “The reality is that you always have to compromise, where everyone is never happy.” The secretary of DGS therefore calls it a ‘double feeling’.
Million dollar deal
Thanks to the deal, VDL Nedcar is paying many millions extra for nature compensation for the felling of the Sterrebos. In return, DGS and the Foundation for Ecological Bat Research in the Netherlands (Sevon) withdrew their objections to the Council of State and the felling started immediately on Tuesday.
Also read: Millions deal for nature makes cutting Sterrebos possible
In addition to previously promised natural compensation for, among other things, moving trees, Nedcar now commits, among other things, to the construction of a footbridge over the N297 from Nieuwstadt to the Limbrichterbos and a noise barrier along the N297. A growth fund financed by Nedcar will do even more in the coming years to make the environment greener.