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).
