Acquisition of land for new nature areas per province
On average, the provinces have achieved almost 50% of their land acquisition targets for new nature areas. There are, however, major differences in the extent of the progress made.
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Current situation
Each province has set a particular target for the acquisition of land intended to be redeveloped as new nature areas. Zeeland has already achieved 78% of its target; the remainder has been designated (i.e. the land that still needs to be acquired has been identified). In Limburg, Noord-Brabant, Utrecht and Overijssel, less than 50% of the land has been acquired. A number of provinces have not yet finished designating the relevant areas.
Policy objectives
The "Nature for People, People for Nature" (Natuur voor Mensen, Mensen voor Natuur) memorandum sets out the objective of completing the National Ecological Network (Ecologische Hoofdstructuur, EHS) by 2018. One of the targets is that 151 500 hectares of new nature areas should be created. Of that area, 132 300 hectares must be acquired, while for 19 200 hectares management agreements should be concluded with private nature management bodies (rather than actually acquiring the land). Responsibility for achieving this national target is shared by the various provinces via agreements between the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality and the Association of Provincial Authorities (Interprovinciaal Overleg, IPO).
Technical note
The graph indicates the target for new nature areas in hectares, as well as the area that has been acquired and designated. Taking all the provinces together, this comes to 151 500 hectares, whether or not the land concerned is to be acquired.
The percentages given in the text indicate the area of land (in hectares) that has actually been acquired, compared with the acquisition target set. The 19 200 hectares that are to be managed privately have been subtracted on a proportional basis from the acquisition target for each province; i.e. the greater the acquisition target, the larger the area to be managed privately.
The information is from the Land and Water Management Service (Dienst Landelijk Gebied, DLG). It should be noted that not all of the land acquired actually falls within the designated area. The intention is to exchange that land for land within the designated area at a later date. For the present, land that is to be exchanged has been classified as land acquired. Not all of the land that has been acquired within the designated area has yet been redeveloped or transferred to nature area management organisations.
References
- DLG (2001). Jaarverslag 2000. Dienst Landelijk Gebied. Utrecht.
- DLG (2002). Structuurschema Groene Ruimte. Voortgangsrapportage 2001. Dienst Landelijk Gebied. Utrecht.
- LNV (1990). Natuurbeleidsplan. Regeringsbeslissing. Ministerie van Landbouw, Natuurbeheer en Visserij. Den Haag.
- LNV (1995). Structuurschema Groene Ruimte: het landelijk gebied de moeite waard. Deel 4: Planologische Kernbeslissing. Ministerie van Landbouw, Natuurbeheer en Visserij. Den Haag.
- LNV (2000). Natuur voor Mensen, Mensen voor Natuur. Nota Natuur, Bos en Landschap in de 21e eeuw. Ministerie van Landbouw, Natuurbeheer en Visserij. Den Haag.
