Introduction

Indian summer, harvest time. At the moment, september 2018, our beautiful Groninger countryside is full of hard work! But not just with the typical, romantic harvesting activities we all know so well... Since last year (2017) many Groninger villagers were confronted with almost terrifying large scale activities. A new phenomenon, even in this traditionally agricultural environment. All at once usually very quiet villages were brutally startled by loud noises and, subsequently, by a strikingly and especially thoroughly destruction of their lively and lovely rural forests. Like attentive and responsible farmers - quickly harvesting their grains or potatoes before the rain comes - the Dutch Forest Service (Staatsbosbeheer, in short SBB) currently harvests extraordinary amounts of ashes (fraxinus excelsior) and other elderly deciduous trees, those oaks and other species naturally without any traces of 'dying ashes disease'... In addition the SBB-lumberjacks seemed to be in an extreme rush. That is to say: only a few of them were actually present. Especially the typical 'cool' types - walking on two firm legs, a chainsaw in one hand, strong rope in the other - were almost conspicuous in there absence. This because nowadays harvesting trees - even those on a venerable age... - is as safe and simple as, let's say, hugging them... 

'O hell! I think he's planning to hug me..!!'
'Consider the trees - they have no legs to run with'
Cartoon obtained from the internet

Unfortunately this huge harvester doesn't fit in only one picture... 
Above: lucky blue-marked 'Future-tree' ('Toekomstboom') in front of harvester (below)

Warffumerbos. Blogwachter, september 18th, 2018

Kruisweg, completely risk-free, technical tree hugging.
Image: Blogwachter, september, 15th, 2018

At least when a modern technical masterpiece, the so-called 'harvester', is at your disposal. Like agricultural machines harvesting huge acres in a few days, these harvesters clearcut complete forests in just a couple of weeks:

Kruisweg, harvest. Image: Blogwachter, september, 15th, 2018

Unfortunately leaving all unsuspecting forest residents - for example hedgehogs, woodpeckers, bats - dead, or at least strikingly homeless:

Hedgehog, from now on without guts...there must be dozens of them...
Kruisweg. September 2018. Image Blogwachter

In fact there is no better word for this ruthless harvesting-method than warfare - 'green attack' - or even 'ecocide'. Although this mass deforestation is taking place under the - seemingly utmost sincere - pretense of safety for the residents, the main reason for this huge harvesting operation seems to be the threat of serious financial loss of an - on behalf of recent cuts - distressed semi-private organization (SBB). To be precise: the threatening loss of big amounts of 'unaffected' wood, originally meant to be sold for a decent price: 

The recent urge for enormous amounts of 'biomass' - preferably delivered in huge pieces of fresh, healthy firewood - completes this ongoing ecological disaster:  

   

Indeed, in Holland many ashes are more or less affected, or even seriously ill, just as in many other European countries. Recently many of the younger and thinner ashes even died completely. Oddly enough at the moment especially the elderly and relatively healthy ashes seem to be 'cleared' by the Forest Service. As soon as possible, I would say! On the other hand: forest parcels with predominantly dead(!) ashes mostly seem to be preserved by the Forest Service, at least for the time being... In the meantime it's getting clearer and clearer - at least for many attentive Dutch citizens - that lots of elderly oaks and other ecologically valuable and quite often even huge trees are also demolished under the guise of 'essentaksterfte' (dying ashes). This is the so-called collateral damage (unfortunately also including many hedgehogs, woodpeckers, etc.) caused by the harvesters. In comparison with the machine below contemporary technical masterpieces really ARE ruthless:

'Hamilton's patent tree-pelling and cross-cutting machine'
Cartoon obtained from the internet

Although these modern harvesters are huge, they have to move themselves along small tracks, originally meant for walkers and peasants. Of course this isn't possible, with all that this implies...

Bedum, destroyed forest clay, part of recreational forest.
Blogwachter, ctober, 14h, 2017

As you can see these enormous machines often even use the vulnerable forest floor (image above) to maneuver, thus treating these small tracks - or, even worse, the extraordinary fertile 'Hogelandse' clay - like some sort of highway (video below):

Unfortunately not without implications:

Collateral damage Uithuizen, Dingebos. August, 10th, 2017. Blogwachter.

I already mentioned this little hedgehog... I won't bother you again with the sad image showed in the first paragraph. But you can easily imagine how many more of these squashed hedgehogs (and other small mammals, frogs, toads, etcetera) are undoubtedly perishing underneath so many accumulated dead stems and branches scattered around our carelessly destroyed (former) forests. During this harvesting-process hedgehogs or toads can't hide anymore for our (humans) enormous technical masterpieces, our progress, our thoroughness, our immense ambition... This because these harvesters can reach really every shelter and, although unwillingly, enters deep into all imaginable hidden forest corners, holes, nests, etcetera... So at this terrible moment I can only sympathize with all these fragile and, undoubtedly, completely lost animals. The least I can do is to keep their memory alive... 

'Pluk en de dieren' (Pluk and the animals); picture from a famous Dutch children-book 
written by Annie M.G. Schmidt and illustrated by Fiep Westendorp.
Image obtained from the internet

So, for example, think a moment about this little and happy and lively longtailed tit te Kruisweg, in this video probably inspecting the forest edge for a nesting place:

For sure it will be 'an enormous challenge' for this joyous little bird to find the same opportunities next year. Sadly enough it's perspective could have been so much better... Provided that the whole 'dying ashes'-operation would have been properly and carefully organized! For example with phased or manual chopping, carefully marked trees, thorough supervision and, last but not least, a substantial (governmental?) budget...

The following video shows some bats in the little village Kruisweg that will be lost, or at least doomed to leave this already clear cut forest:

In short: especially in the northern parts of Holland, the 'Groninger Hogeland', no 'real' (grownup) forest will survive during the next years. With 'real forest' simply defined as an acre (lot, parcel) filled with grown up(!) or, preferably, elderly trees. At least when we, residents, won't intervene as soon as possible. Probably there are so many ashes around because ashes were almost free to get - every gardener knows how easy the seeds spread, almost like weeds - and this northern province was, so to say, relatively poor (with grain prices rapidly collapsing, due to globalization...) during the period in which large scale land consolidations took place (mostly around the eighties of the last century). The ashes were planted very dense on purpose, to let them grow in tall and straight stems, easily transformed into, for example, modern, light-colored 'Scandinavian-style' furniture. 

Kruisweg, winter 2018. Image Blogwachter

Hence our own northern forests are (were) literally crowded with ashes. Bad coincidence, at least for contemporary Forest Service SBB, was the fact that, in the meantime, many of these forests gradually gained considerably recreational and ecological value. 
For example the relatively extensive forest adjacent to the village Bedum, officially the eldest recreational 'village-forest' in the north of Groningen:

Bedum, 'harvested' recreational forest. Blogwachter, october, 14th, 2017

From this moment several passerby's (including me) started to question the destructive 'dying ashes'-method and policy. As a result the Dutch Forest Service incessantly - and too often disturbing convincingly! - emphasizes the inevitability of their current policy and methods. Especially with regard to the safety of the Groninger residents... Thus rangers and managers keep talking and writing, unfortunately with all kinds of fallacies, excuses and deception passing by. For sure SBB's Public Relations activities are extremely well organized and prepared!

So, one way or the other, carefully phased and/or even manual cutting can't be any serious possibility anymore. At least according to the Dutch Forest Service SBB. Consequently, nowadays - please notice: thanks to the newest technological developments - when some trees are ill, we have to destroy our forests completely. This instead of thinning them out properly, like in earlier days, when hardly everything seemed possible... with some basic materials, like a tall rope, a helmet, and a chainsaw. To make matters worse, these expensive technological masterpieces are very, very, VERY huge and therefore consequently destroy all the undergrowth when accidentally passing by. 

'Uh, Joe...doesn't the congressional measure only authorizes us to cut dead and dying trees?'
'You bet! This baby's a GONER, for sure!'
'Those next 40 probably don't have a future either'

In addition transporting them to another village is quite (irresponsibly..) expensive... so better deal with it quickly! That is to say all trees and the undergrowth (and flora and fauna) at once. Which means complete deforestation in the name of progress! Nevertheless the local residents (including birds, bats, hedgehogs, deers) are left to pick up the pieces of SBB's well made and 'responsible' choices:

Used methods and arguments (by SBB)

In short, for alert and worried citizens it's quite a challenge to resist this smoothly organized public relation-machine, with the many local rangers as their main executors. Presumably inspired by managers of the Dutch Forest Service (SBB) these rangers developed a special 'jargon' which I would indicate as 'Staatsbosbeheers'. 

'Research concludes: WE ARE DESTROYING EARTH'
'Could you kindly rephrase that in equivocal, inaccurate, vague, 
self-serving and roundabout terms that we can all understand?'
Cartoon obtained from the internet

At first, of course, they'll tell you about this 'terrible disease' which affected all those poor ashes. Doesn't matter how many (scientific) articles you already read about this problem (or visited already slaughtered ecological habitats), these lay people should hear their explanations again, and again... Unfortunately 'there is nothing to do about it'. For your own personal safety these woods MUST be hacked! The real good actors among these rangers even wipe away some little tear... 

Phase two is to inform you, alarmed and worried citizens, about your (and of course your children's!) personal safety. Trees could so easily fall down, and when some treacherous hell of a mushroom chasing for trees - in Dutch (quite deceitful) called the 'honingzwam', thus disguised as a kind of sweet and innocent mushroom, topped with honey so to speak... - completes the joy. Finally just a finger top will succeed to put such trees down, in just one single fatal moment. Yes, even when the crown and the branches of such tree still look healthy and clean... 

'The 9/11 Excuse'
'We are clearcutting national forests so the terrorists won't have a place to hide'
Cartoon obtained from the internet

Phase three: these rangers take their responsibility! Incessantly they're convincing worried residents that the unavoidable clear cutting 'could be a bit painful', but that the trees - which trees?! The undergrowth also died... - definitely WILL grow, and sooner than we think. 

'The gates of hell are open night and day; Smooth the descent and easy is the way; 
But to return, and view the cheerful skies, In this the task and mighty labor lies'. Virgil's Aeneid.
Cartoon obtained from the internet

Phase four - probably you already noticed - psychotherapy. They'll understand you and all your objections, doubts and even your worst dreams. Because these nice rangers are paid to make you sleep quietly and especially undisturbed by ecological nightmares and fears. Don't worry, they'll repeat with sweet and understanding voices, 'forest will be forest'. By the way, were there ever any doubts about this?! For it wouldn't be the first time that SBB is selling an acre for a windmill... Lucky local farmers - for example in the Dutch province Drenthe - earn 36.000 euro's per year for leasing a former acre to an energy company... Which is certainly even more profitable than cutting potato's, milking cows or clearcutting woods! About the last one: you can only do it once in a lifetime...

'...And in keeping with our commiment to the environment, 
we NOW plant MORE trees than we actually fell.'
Cartoon obtained from the iternet

So finally we reach the fifth phase: leave your shameful and confronting damage behind you and sell those unprofitable properties as soon as possible! Get rid of it all and make a fresh new start! Unfortunately leaving certain irrational and unreasonable residents frustrated and angry:

'Let them protest! They will always be unimportant!'
Cartoon obtained from the internet

Because, you know, it WAS a nice forest, full of secret whispers and beautiful songs... Full of life, in short:

History

Blogwachter is, of course, a pseudonym. In Holland we call rangers and - for example - bridge keepers 'wachters', in English: guards. So a ranger is called a 'boswachter'. I chose this name because, in a way, I found myself - although involuntary and unexpected - 'guarding' the exceptionally fertile, ecologically rich en diverse Groninger Kleibossen (Groninger Claywoods) by visiting them and, thereafter, writing about them. Naturally in Holland we already have our rangers, and naturally they're guarding our forest. To be precise: they're diligently watching for unwelcome dogs, litter, children building huts and other serious iniquities. Real 'green' hearts are beating in these rangers fresh bodies, and they're mostly friendly, optimistic and, last but not least, realistic. Because in this neoliberal era dreaming, idealism and protest flower less abundant than, let's say, self reliance combined with a practical 'go with the flow' attitude. Money is 'inevitably' scarce, and forests are comparatively... useless, at least from an economical point of view. The local government is responsible for the maintenance and pruning of the branches above tracks, which is often too expensive after the decentralization due to the neoliberal government. So they will be too easily tempted to give all the necessary permits for the clearcutting. Except some little upheaval about cutting in the nesting season after a notification by a 'Bomenridder' ('tree knight'). Which meant a serious setback for the organization (SBB) because in at least three villages SBB had to postpone their activities till september. But this delay took place on behalf of the overarching province Groningen:

Dagblad van het Noorden, 'Cutting stopped in village forest Kruisweg'

Of course we have our - mostly solitary operating - rebels, like a brave lady in the little village of Kruisweg - it wasn't me, I were happily surprised when it occurred - that put posters on the trees that are now demolished. But when 'tree hugging' is the general trend, you can't do anything. Let alone these poor trees that don't even have legs to run with:

'Oh hell! I think he's planning to hug me..!!'
Cartoon obtained from the internet

In the video below you see technically supported tree hugging in practice. Warning: these images can be a little 'painful' or even confronting to the real tree-lovers:

Possible solutions

So there we are, in the middle of this painful ecological battlefields. Finally the residents even won't be able to prove properly these beautiful 'Groninger clay forests' were ever there! This seems to me the biggest problem. Our collective memory can be so short! Probably our children won't even know what they are missing. Like my own generation before, with those nightingales and those skylarks. We are staring, a bit bored or even annoyed, when elderly people are talking about those enchanting songs we pitifull youngsters have never heard ourselves... 

'INTO THE WOODS JR.
Introctory Meeting
When: Tuesday, November 8th
Time: 3:15-3:45
Place: cafetaria'
Cartoon obtained from the internet

So what can we do? Personally I'm dreaming of a European 'Global Tree Act' - 'Algemene Bomenwet 2020' (we don't have much time!) for the Netherlands - or something like that. I have some rules in mind, but of course in this neoliberal political climate it won't be easy to succeed with even the slightest measure against the persistent clearcutting of exactly our eldest and most beautiful forests... In short: we'll need your help. When you're the type of person that relaxes immediately when surrounded by green, you are able to resist this large scale ecological. I'll tell you a secret: psychologist recently found out that a green environment is the best thing to reach psychological well being. Not just for you - presumably a sensitive nature lover - but for almost everybody. And - last but not least - for your kids. And for all those living and wonderful beings that depend on those woods.

Google Map, recent updates clear cutting Groninger clay forests.

Links

For more information in English (or images): 

• Overviewing map threatened or cut Groninger Clay forests: updates, information and pictures about the harvesting activities of the Dutch Forest Service (Staatsbosbeheer)
• Bomenridders Groningen: Groningen's urban forest destroyed under the pretense of safety (or 'renewable' energy'), by Kristin McGee
• John Steinbeck quote: impression early harvester, 1939