Acquisition of land and management agreements: targets and progress

Between 40 and 50% of the targets set in 1995 or earlier for the acquisition of land and the conclusion of nature, woodland/forest and landscape management agreements have now been achieved. Hardly any of the new targets set in 2000 have been achieved.

Trends

Various government policy documents set targets for the amount of land to be reserved for new nature areas, for improvements in the quality of the landscape, and for agrarian and private nature management. As of 31 December 2001, about half the targets set in from 1995 or earlier had been achieved. These are the targets for new nature areas (previously nature reserves and nature development areas), existing nature areas, forest and woodland, landscape and recreation areas, the "Randstad Green Structure" (Randstadgroenstructuur), and agrarian nature management. Hardly any of the targets set out in the "Nature for People, People for Nature" (Natuur voor Mensen, Mensen voor Natuur) memorandum (2000) have been achieved, including those with respect to robust nature links and ecological corridors, the Landscape Quality Improvement Programme (Kwaliteitsimpuls Landschap), and the wetlands and aquatic ecosystems specified in the ICES agreements (Interministerial Committee on Economic Structure Policy). Details of the targets and the extent to which they have been achieved are given in appendix 6.

See appendix 6.(linken naar doc 1367)

Creation of National Ecological Network

The terrestrial component of the National Ecological Network (Ecologische Hoofdstructuur) (EHS) is ultimately intended to consist of continuous nature areas covering a total of some 750 000 hectares. Amongst other things, this means that by 2018 a total of some 150 000 hectares of new nature areas is to be created.

It is no easy matter to indicate the overall progress made in completing the EHS. Progress in some categories would not have been made without the EHS policy, for example. This is true of "new nature areas", "existing nature areas" and "robust nature links and ecological corridors". In other categories, however - "forest and woodland, landscape and recreation", "Randstad Green Structure", "other green areas near towns and cities", "Landscape Quality Improvement Programme" and "wetlands and aquatic ecosystems (ICES)" - the aim of creating the EHS is only part of the picture.

Agreements for private nature management also fall entirely under the EHS policy, whereas agreements concluded for agrarian nature management may or may not do so.

A second complication when assigning areas to the EHS is that the number of hectares referred to in the various targets cannot be added together due to the fact that they may well overlap. The "Randstad Green Structure", for example, is also meant to constitute one of the robust nature links.

Policy objectives

In order to create the EHS, land is purchased, redeveloped and transferred to management bodies. In addition, management agreements are concluded for the EHS regarding land that has not been acquired. The original land acquisition target for "new nature areas" was set in the Nature Policy Plan (Natuurbeleidsplan) of 1990 and concerns an area of 151 500 hectares. "New nature areas" covers both nature reserves and nature development areas. Of these, 19 200 hectares will be created via private nature management rather than by actual acquisition.

"Existing nature areas" refers to the 36 000 hectares of nature areas acquired by means of "rounding-off purchases". The target for these originates in the 1975 memorandum on the "Relationship between Agriculture and Nature" ("Relatienota").

There is also a recent target of 36 500 - 42 500 hectares for robust nature links and ecological corridors. The objective here is to increase the ecological cohesion of the EHS. The "Landscape Quality Improvement Programme" is a new plan intended to improve both the ecological and the recreational quality of rural areas. The intention is to restore 400 000 hectares of cultural landscape by introducing and reinstating 40 000 hectares of landscape elements (the "green-blue network").

The "forest and woodland, landscape and recreation" target originates in the 1995 Green Space Structure Plan (Structuurschema Groene Ruimte, SGR), as does the "Randstad Green Structure". This involves recreational green areas (in part). Extra targets for other green areas near towns and cities have recently been added.

"Wetlands and aquatic ecosystems" relates to recent agreements on the creation (with the assistance of ICES funding) of extra new nature areas along the various branches of the Rhine, the Meuse, the South-Holland delta, Lake IJssel and in the north of the country. The objective is not only to create nature areas but also water retention facilities.

See also appendix 6.(linken naar doc 1367)

Technical note

The list of land acquisition and management agreement targets is based on the SGR, the "Nature for People, People for Nature" (Natuur voor Mensen, Mensen voor Natuur) memorandum and the correspondence with Parliament. (These sources are not always entirely consistent.)

No clear assessment is available of whether policy objectives have in fact been achieved. The figures given in the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries' budget do not entirely agree with the figures reported by the government's Land and Water Management Service (Dienst Landelijk Gebied, DLG). This indicator follows the DLG system.

Where acquisition of land is concerned, "target achieved" implies that land has been purchased and transferred to the management bodies; in the case of management agreements, "target achieved" means that agreements have in fact been concluded for the land concerned.

References