The Amblève project, located in the commune of Amblève (BE 4770) and in the Amblève bassin, involves a reforestation initiative in response to an ongoing bark beetle infestation affecting the region's spruce forests. Rather than clear-cutting the entire area, selective extraction of infested trees is being implemented. This method varies depending on the situation, with some areas undergoing large or small-scale clear-cutting while others focus on isolated spruce removal. Following last season's intervention with 10,500 trees, another 14,280 trees are planted during the season of 2024-2025, in a mix of 1.5m x 1.5m (islands) or 2m x 2.5m spacing (in larger areas). The replanting will prioritize beech trees (88%) due to their adaptability to low-light conditions, particularly in small clusters. Other species, including hornbeam, linden, and maple, will be introduced in varying proportions, depending on the specific site conditions. There is significant wildlife pressure, but not enough to threaten the plantations. The manager plans to protect the planting clusters with small localized fences. The restoration effort aims to restore forest cover, enhance species diversity, and strengthen the forest's resilience to climate change. The project can be expanded up to 100,000 trees. The area, known for its rich rural and agricultural landscape, attracts hikers, cyclists, and horse riders exploring the extensive forests around the Amblève River. Historically, the region's forests were damaged during World War II, particularly during the Ardennes Offensive, and were subsequently replanted with spruce, which has proven vulnerable to pests and storms. The project is integrated into a special zone (ZIP), is easy accessible, and offers opportunities for site visits. Plantation updates: - Planting period: The plantation took place between November 2024 and February 2025. - 14280 trees planted: 11480 beeches, 1200 hornbeams, 1200 maples and 400 lindens. - Monitoring summary: The planting was carried out over 15.64 hectares of former spruce forest. Despite regular snow and freezing conditions, the weather did not hinder the work. Trees were planted in clusters, either under existing spruce stands or following clear-cutting. The terrain was prepared beforehand, and protection measures were applied where needed. No major difficulties were encountered.

Amblève is located in a forest region, historically mainly composed of coniferous trees. It is a rural and agricultural region known for its many footpaths, welcoming hikers, horse riders, and cyclists to discover the rich countryside around the Amblève river. The project in Heppenbach, Amblève, is a pluri-annual restoration project in which we plant 10,500 trees in the winter of 2023-2024 and a minimum of 10,000 trees in the winter of 2024-2025. This project can be extended up to 100,000 trees in the coming years. The main objectives of this project are: 1) Reforestation after the bark beetle health crisis, with the aim of diversifying tree species to create a more resilient forest and preserving diverse natural areas. 2) To restore an area larger than 150 hectares. The restoration of this forest leads to ecosystemic global benefits provided by the forest, such as CO2 sequestration, good soil, clean air, water retention, and biodiversity. Additionally, a strengthened forest is more resilient to climate change thanks to diversification of species. The areas to be planted are accessible on foot via the forest paths. Other details: Height: 500 – 600m Soil: silt and stones Previous composition of the plots: monospecific spruces Nursery: Op de Beeck Plantation updates: - 10,500 trees planted: The plantation consists entirely of Beech (100%), arranged in islands within the understory. Planted in blocks with a density of 2500 trees per hectare. - Monitoring summary: The latest monitoring was conducted on 8 April 2026, showing a continued strong recovery rate of 95% and a good overall health status (consistent with the previous monitoring in November 2024). No biotic damage was recorded. A small amount of drought-related damage was noted, affecting 5% of plants. Manual clearing has been carried out since planting.

The restoration project in Amblève is continuing and can be expanded to a total of 100,000 trees. Following last season’s interventions with 10,500 trees in 2023–2024 and 14,280 trees in 2024-2025, the same approach is being applied to strengthen forest resilience and diversity this season. The Amblève forest consists mainly of conifers, in particular spruce. At present, about 75% of the forest stands are spruce. Localized thinning helps prevent attacks on spruces that are weakened by competition for light. The objective is to gradually reduce the share of spruce to 50%. To achieve this, clear-cutting is avoided. Management is carried out through thinning and progressive canopy reduction, which irregularizes the stands and initiates assisted natural regeneration. Spruce requires a lot of light to grow well in its adult stage, which means little light reaches the forest floor. Natural regeneration is therefore limited, making external planting of young trees necessary. In the cleared patches, beech is planted. This species is well adapted to shaded conditions and is introduced at high density, as it tolerates competition well in its early years. This approach also protects the young trees against late frost and drought. In larger clearings, other species are introduced according to the conditions of each parcel. The long-term goal is to establish irregular stands with varied age classes, increasing resilience to unexpected events. The project takes place in a rural and agricultural region known for its extensive forest massifs and numerous trails, where hikers, riders and cyclists come to experience the rich nature around the Amblève river.