When he admires this massif of Fontainebleau that he loves so much, Alexandre Butin, forester of the National Forestry Office (ONF), does not see only the trees he has in his sights.
He looks down to see all the 10cm tall shoots dotting the ground.
He points his gaze to the top and then all around him to analyze the amount of light these growing babies are receiving.
In order to decide which trees will be cut to allow the growth of the younger ones.
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"That is the future," he enthuses, moreover, posing a gentle glance at the mini-oaks, some of which will live for 200 years.
We work while thinking of our colleagues who will be in our place in 50 or 100 years and respecting what has been done by those who have gone before us.
We know that we inherit the forest and we will leave it to our children.
"
"We work while thinking of our colleagues who will be in our place in 50 or 100 years and respecting what has been done by those who have preceded us", welcomes Alexandre Butin.
Faustine Leo
Yet in recent weeks, around Samois-sur-Seine, he, his colleagues and the loggers have been jostled and even insulted by walkers who are very moved to find that a few trees have been cut down near their usual walking path. On social networks, a Facebook group “Urgences Forêt Samois” brings together 700 people, some of whom take photos of themselves lying down as dead with the red dot on their bodies that can be found on trees intended to be felled.
“We wonder about the use of the forest.
Samois is only one case among others.
Trees are also or even more important than human beings, warns Hélène Mugnier, one of the members of the collective who met the ONF last week.
We want to understand whether these slaughter decisions are legitimate.
We fear that some are not necessary and that an economic logic is favored ”.
"This tree could be cut down but we will wait another ten years"
Like every ten years, in this 22,000 ha forest, i.e. twice Paris, the ONF cuts 10% and 30% of the trees in this plot, one of the 300 on the estate to be exploited out of a total of 900. 1300 hectares of the massif are biological reserves where interventions are non-existent. In these decennial rotations, there is no longer any question of clear cutting, except in the event of disease or experimentation on the acclimatization of a species such as with Douglas-fir. But rather management of the heritage of this forest which already in the 12th century provided timber for construction and heating.
“This forest is artificial. To make it sustainable, it must be renewed and the large oaks removed to make room for the little ones, says Alexandre Butin. And if we do not intervene, for security reasons, we will not be able to allow the public to come for a walk. So yes we do not live with this movement which calls into question our actions while we are doing the best to preserve this gem. Admittedly, there are drifts, in the private forests of the Morvan for example, but we must not compare their practices with ours. And even less with the deforestation of South America. ".
On the incriminated plot, Alexandre Butin defends a way of working that respects biodiversity. "Dead trees and branches less than 7 cm in diameter are left in place to make humus which will nourish the trees", explains this enthusiast. Opposite, the cuts that took place eight years ago did not give rise to dispute at the time. Trees that will be felled in two years are already marked. Some lean dangerously on the road, others compete with their peers. But you have to look to find red dots. "This tree could be cut down but that will give too much light to the brambles which will take over the shrubs, so we will wait another ten years," adds Alexandre Butin. In this one there is a nest, so we do not touch it.Ditto for the one to whom we will give time to become even more beautiful ”.
"400,000 people work in the wood industry"
Each year, 40,000 m3 of wood from the Fontainebleau forest are processed, ie a few trees per hectare. 40% go into construction and carpentry, 15% in the manufacture of paper and crate-type packaging and 45% becomes firewood. "And only the branches are used for heating" adds the ONF, which recognizes a lack of communication in recent months with residents. “Without doubt, the fact of gathering all the wood cut along the paths gives an impression of massive cutting while our action is disseminated. And yes, we do not sell dead trees because we cannot make furniture and barrels for wine if there are holes in the boards, underlines the ONF.There is a different perspective between the walker who sees the forest today and our foresters who take a look at it that takes into account the next hundred years ”.
The logs along the trail have moved tree lovers to the point that lumberjacks are insulted.
However, the most beautiful oaks will be used to make barrels for the wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy.
Faustine Leo
A speech that does not convince the activists of Samois-sur-Seine that the ONF will nevertheless integrate into the association group with which it dialogues and carries out inventories.
“On the one hand we are told that the forest is not destined to be profitable and on the other that the demand for wood is growing.
These contradictions baffle us.
The forest is something bigger than us.
It's not just a landscape, it's a living space.
It forces us to think differently about the balance between maintenance and operation, ”says Hélène.
“Our choices are not dictated to replenish the NFB's coffers. We don't cut these trees we love for fun. The companies that win our contracts can only intervene on the trees that we have designated, ”replies Alexandre Butin. Double marking on the trunk and on the stump makes it possible to verify that the loggers who won the market do not cut down trees intended to be preserved.
For six years the French state has established safeguards so that quality wood is not processed in China. Contracts are multiplying with French sawmills to ensure, even if the wood is then sold at a lower price, an outlet that is traceable. “400,000 people working in the wood industry,” recalls the ONF. It is also necessary that consumers seize this problem by agreeing to buy parquet at 100 euros per m2 which is not cut in China ”. Alexandre Butin remains defeatist, however: "We will not manage to convince those who do not support that we cut a tree."