Conservation and restoration work has begun on three islands in the River Samois: the Île de Bohan and the Île de Vanne Cunin in the commune of Vresse, and the ‘Île de Montclar, Poète’ in Poupehan, in the commune of Bouillon. A limited and controlled amount of tree clearing, needed in order to conserve the sites, will be undertaken during 2015.

This work is part of the management instigated by the King Baudouin Foundation, which owns the sites thanks to donors who set up the Iles de la Semois Fund within the foundation. The foundation has developed and undertaken this conservation project in close collaboration with the local and regional authorities responsible for managing rivers and the countryside.

The foundation’s mission is in fact to ensure the conservation and sustainability of these three sites in the valley of the River Samois. This has resulted in the implementation of a project whose aim is to preserve the landscape as well as the natural history and historic value of the sites, whilst also taking into account the wider context of the river and the interests of the various actors concerned.

It was in this spirit, in 2014, that the foundation organised a series of field meetings on the three islands, together with representatives of the Département de la Nature et des Forêts, the Contrat de Rivière and of the Voies hydrauliques (waterways) to discuss the work of conservation and restoration needed at the three sites.

It is the King Baudouin Foundation’s wish that residents living near the river as well as the actors concerned are kept closely informed about the work undertaken and to this end the foundation will work with the Contrat de Rivière Semois-Chiers.