CIt was the forest that called him, not the other way around. Jean-Claude Nouard, a retired technician at Water and Forests in the Dordogne, signed the “SOS Forest” manifesto of about thirty pages published by Cairn in the critical collection Sens. This is a former forester, an informant, is not his first work. It is intended as a sharp formulation to precede a book on the commodification of forests.
Jean-Claude Nouard, originally from Périgord Vert, wandered the forests of Nontronnais as a child…
CIt was the forest that called him, not the other way around. Jean-Claude Nouard, a retired technician at Water and Forests in the Dordogne, signed the “SOS Forest” manifesto of about thirty pages published by Cairn in the critical collection Sens. This is a former forester, an informant, is not his first work. It is intended as a sharp formulation to precede a book on the commodification of forests.
Originally from Périgord Vert, Jean-Claude Nouard has walked the Nontronnais forests since he was a child. They are the ones who made him go all the way in the forestry service for forty years before becoming a forester and creating it in July 2021. SOS Forest Dordogne association with a handful of people worried about the future of this ecosystem. Within three years, the small structure expanded its ranks and gained 250 members.
Before you retired in 2018, you published Forests, It’s a State, It’s a Profession, which wasn’t well received, you say?
This first book got me into a very small problem, it’s true. But my first duty is to be honest with myself. I’m not here to say I’m right. Unfortunately, I have a feeling that in our society, it is the debate that becomes the danger. What is missing is a contradiction. In short, we have very strong lobbies in our country (1). What I am asking is to express my opinion, which unfortunately is the opinion of many people who do not express themselves out of fear.
You denounce the “heresy of current forest management that advocates resin monoculture.” How do you think it looks in Périgord?
The Dordogne is one of the few French departments with forests of at least three or four different species. This is what makes us original. Today, we are witnessing the relatively massive extermination of these native populations, and we are seeing the emergence of unique tree plantations for serious economic purposes. They are planted in a row at distances corresponding to the distance between the machines. We are industrializing and mechanizing the forest. Mostly maritime pine and a few different species, such as Douglas fir in the northeast of the department or a few Scots pines. We are in the process of extending the Landes massif to Périgord.
Is the Dordogne particularly affected by these clear cuts?
We don’t know. When we ask questions to the management, they tell us that it is not important. As a result, we cannot get exact numbers. according to SOS Forest Dordogne, created to protect traditional ecosystems, their number is exponential. We launched Platform at sosforetdordogne.fr We invite everyone to help locate them. We already have about 200 subscribers.
Haven’t these close cuts always been there?
This is what our detractors say. And they are right. Furthermore, clear felling is a management method particularly adapted to chestnut bushes, consisting of cutting the tree every twenty to twenty-five years, but ensuring its sustainability everywhere. Except today, we’re cutting to replace it with something more economically viable. We are in an immediate profitability system.
The issue of climate change that worries you is the disappearance of ancient forests.
Yes. Our oceans and forests are our two carbon sinks. The problem today is that we are seeing shorter and shorter rotations in terms of transactions. Young trees, like teenagers, eat a lot. So we have rejuvenated forests that don’t capture enough carbon to return oxygen to the atmosphere. Reforestation is accompanied by hard work that destroys land and releases more carbon than it now stores.
Facing all the flashing red lights, you offer “good dad forest management” solutions. What is this?
I start from the principle that it is up to us humans to adapt to nature. Respectful management of the environment requires humility, know-how and, above all, knowledge from foresters. I started in the 1970s, we cut every thirty-five, forty, forty-five, even fifty years. Today, we cut every thirty-five years, so we have younger and younger trees. We need to be collectively aware of our environment, which we do at SOS Forêt, especially on our website. In addition to the activist aspect, we are in an increasingly demanding educational relay to the general public, schools and elected officials.