Nature Conservancy Act areas

Almost 310 000 hectares of nature areas have been designated as nature reserves under the provisions of the Nature Conservancy Act.

Current situation

The map shows the areas that have been designated as being covered by the provisions of the Nature Conservancy Act (Natuurbeschermingswet) ("protected area of natural beauty" or nature reserves). A total of almost 310 000 hectares is covered by the Act, including both large areas and many small ones. The areas involved are usually ones with rare flora and fauna, but they may also be significant because of their evolutionary history, their pedology or their scenic beauty.

The first such areas were designated in 1971 and the most recent in mid-1998. Since then no new ones have been designated, largely due to the fact that the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries is currently prioritising the implementation of the Birds and Habitats Directives.

Policy objectives

The objective of the Nature Conservancy Act is to protect areas of land and water with special ecological and scenic features. Within these areas, a system of permits applies to damaging activities. A management plan can also be drawn up for an area, qualifying it for a management grant.

Technical note

The map is a compilation of various maps showing areas that have been designated as nature reserves under the terms of the Nature Conservancy Act. The analogue map material on which it is based varies in scale from 1:1 000 to 1:250 000. Areas smaller than 250 hectares have been shown as dots so as to aid legibility. The file was provided by Land and Water Management Service (Dienst Landelijk Gebied, DLG) and dates from October 2001.

The exact locations and the relevant features of the areas covered by the Nature Conservancy Act can only be found in the definitive designation orders (with map and explanation).

References

• LNV (2002). Overzicht beschermde en staatsnatuurmonumenten. Ministerie van Landbouw, Natuurbeheer en Visserij. Den Haag.
• RIVM en DLO (2000). Natuurbalans 2000. Natuurplanbureau. Samson BV. Alphen aan de Rijn.