News Nitrogen
Staff: thousands of hectares of buffer zone unnecessary
Tens of thousands of hectares of buffer zone are drawn on the map presented together with the government's nitrogen policy around nature reserves that are not nitrogen-sensitive, concludes the Agrifacts Foundation (Staf) after studying the map. There is a nitrogen reduction target of 70% for those places. According to Staf, buffer zones have also been created around places where the nitrogen targets have already been achieved and where measures are therefore unnecessary.
By designating a kilometer-wide buffer zone around Natura2000 areas (light green on the map), the Netherlands will be twice as rich in nature reserves in one stroke of the pen, Staf calculates. The foundation calculated that a total of about 200.000 hectares of land has been designated as a buffer strip, of which 64.000 hectares are either not nitrogen sensitive or where the nitrogen targets have already been achieved. RIVM's calculation confirms that no contribution is made to the nitrogen targets here, says Staf in a statement press release† "The expected effect is estimated at 0%. The effect of another 44.000 hectares of buffer strip is minimal."
The IJsselmeer is mentioned as an example, one of the largest Natura 2000 areas, where a ring of approximately 28.000 hectares has been drawn. The IJsselmeer is not nitrogen sensitive, except for 3,84 hectares near the Frisian coast, says Staf. At the Veerse Meer and Haringvliet, where there is also a strip, there is no nitrogen-sensitive nature at all. According to Staf, South Limburg is completely declared a nature reserve by the cabinet as a result of the buffer zones. In Drenthe, the protective strips are together just as large as the nature reserve itself, Staf notes.
Well-designed buffer strips can (partly) prevent nitrogen blowing into the area, according to Staf. "For this reason, the Board of Government Advisers advised the Minister of LNV to create buffer zones around Natura 2000 areas. It is remarkable that Minister Van der Wal has taken over the advice of this Board and had buffer strips drawn up on a large scale, but the effect of these strips in her calculations."
Linda van Eekeres
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