VDL Nedcar claims missing 500 trees in forest were carefully replanted

The young trees that activists planted last month near the former VDL Nedcar factory in Born and Nieuwstadt in Limburg have been relocated. A spokesperson for the car company said that the shoots of the trees have been carefully replanted to the compensation area. "They can stay there."

On Friday afternoon, members of the Save the Sterrebos action group discovered that the 500 saplings they had illegally planted on the former factory site in March had disappeared. They spoke of a scandalous and deeply sad action and "a serious form of vandalism". The activists had planted the saplings in protest against the deforestation of part of the Sterrebo near Born, which was to make way for the expansion of the VDL Nedcar factory. This expansion was ultimately not carried out, so the old forest was cut down for nothing, according to the protesters.

Fijn dat #VDL de 500 zaailingen en Herdenkingseik laat staan. #Redhetsterrebos ea willen met deze actie #ProvincieLimburg en VDL oproepen om te stoppen met verdere natuurvernietiging en om de natuur te herstellen. #XRLimburg

— Paula Wielders (@Paulawielders) March 19, 2024

Gisteren plantten 38 activisten van #Redhetsterrebos #extinctionrebellionLimburg ea sympathisanten 500 boompjes en een Herdenkingseik op de plek van het nodeloos gekapte #Sterrebos. Banen weg, bomen weg in #Nieuwstadt. Stop verdere kap #VDL #ProvincieLimburg pic.twitter.com/wflywubJ2w

— Paula Wielders (@Paulawielders) March 17, 2024

According to VDL Nedcar, the seedlings were not planted in the Sterrebos, but on the site of the former poplar forest next to the Sterrebos. "A poplar forest is temporary anyway, is known to have little natural value and is intended for timber production," said a spokesperson. "As long as we don't need the area of the poplar forest for the expansion of our farm, this area will be leased to a farmer as a field."

Spokespeople for the organization Save the Sterrebos confirmed that young trees, possibly from the Sterrebos, were recently planted in a spot between Nieuwstadt and the German border. "They were newly planted there". The province of Limburg has set up a compensation area at this location.

Save the Sterrebos said that it had planted the saplings on the exact spot of the deforested area to create a new green strip between the village of Nieuwstadt and the former car factory. The shoots have now landed in a spot on the other side of the village. "Hopefully the story is true and they will stay there from now on," said another spokesperson for the action group. But remains skeptical. "I think the VDL spokesperson made up this story in the pub yesterday."