Validity of the main operating plan without deforestation renewed until 3/31/2018

Press release of the district government Arnsberg

Original text

Validity of the main operating plan without deforestation renewed until 3/31/2018

By decision of December 20, 2017, the district government of Arnsberg, which is responsible for mining and energy in NRW, renewed the validity of the current main operating plan for the Hambach open-cast mine until March 31th, 2018. As a result of the licence, the continuation of lignite extraction will be secured also after 12/31/2017, thus ensuring the important supply of lignite to the power plants in the months to come.

In view of pending court proceedings, clearing and logging measures on wooded areas are excluded from the prolongation. In the period until the end of March next year, the issues relating to nature conservation legislation will be further intensively investigated and examined by the district government of Arnsberg. After that, the decision on the license until the end of 2020 of the next main operating plan will be taken.

Continue ReadingValidity of the main operating plan without deforestation renewed until 3/31/2018

Stage win

Today is the last day on which BUND and NRWE can adopt a position on the settlement proposal (yes or no). Meanwhile they did so. According to Andreas Pinkwart (FDP), the NRW Minister of Economic Affairs, this winter there will be no more deforestation in the rest of the once large Bürgewald.
Sure, we’re happy. We rejoice for the bats and dormice, for the middle-spotted woodpeckers to whom they owe their homes, for the pedunculate oaks, the hornbeam, the lily-of-the-valley and all living beings in and around the forest. Also with the humans who – with their persistence in the forest, in the courtrooms, in citizens’ initiatives, in guided nature tours, in the procurement of building materials and food, in lectures throughout Europe, writing, filming, translating, collecting signatures and so many other things – made possible the current interim result.

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Unraveling of BUND complaints, clearing stop, turn of the year

The e-mail below was sent to us:

“Hi,

I wrote down a bit to counter the confusion / uncertainties / rumors about the B.U.N.D. NRW lawsuits, the clear-cutting stop and the turn of the year. I hope this is helpful for you and will give you a better starting position to get active in preserving the forest! At the bottom you’ll find a newspaper article from today’s AN.

Continue ReadingUnraveling of BUND complaints, clearing stop, turn of the year