Replica project: Utrechtse Heuvelrug
On the Utrechtse Heuvelrug, Staatsbosbeheer and Bosgroep Midden-Nederland are working together to make multifunctional forests on sandy soils more resilient to climate change and acidification. The multi-year project 'Climate Smart Forest Management' (2024-2029) focuses on climate-proofing a demo site and three practice sites with existing forest.
The project aligns with the national project LIFE Climate Forest of the Forest Groups and the Forestry Commission and was made possible thanks to a grant from province of Utrecht and a generous donation from Stichting MTB Utrechtse Heuvelrug.
It involves a total of 58 hectares of forest. At these locations, Staatsbosbeheer and Bosgroep Midden-Nederland will work on further developing and refining climate-smart forest management. The effect of these measures will be monitored and forest managers, policymakers and municipalities of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug can see for themselves how climate-smart forest management works and what the results are. In addition, managers will be trained through 'learning on the job' to apply climate-smart forest management in other areas as well.
The demo site Boswachterij Austerlitz is open to the public. Up-to-date information on this project can be found online on the Forestry Commission website: