Provinces work together with nature organizations

The Dutch provinces announced last week first want to consult with the agricultural sector before external netting takes effect. Yesterday (Thursday), the provinces, united in the IPO, and nature organizations issued a joint statement that they want to 'work together' in improving nature. Also around Natura2000 areas.

Because it is precisely in times of economic reconstruction that investments must be made in nature, nature conservation organizations conclude with the approval of the provinces in the joint report 'decentralized nature policy under the Nature Conservation Act'.

Exactly one week ago, Minister Schouten instructed the provinces to first consult with the agricultural sector, before implementing external netting within the Nitrogen Emergency Act. With the rapid implementation of this law, the government not only wants to enable rapid growth in housing and infrastructure, but also nature restoration and the remediation of livestock farming.

2019 not good enough
Although the IPO must first coordinate the policy with the agricultural sector before ammonia can be bought through livestock farms, the provinces and the nature organizations state that the nature objectives were not achieved in 2019. Fred Wouters, director of Bird Protection Netherlands, said in a statement: “Nature restoration presents us with a huge challenge. Provinces have an important role in this. This report makes it clear that more effort is needed to achieve the nature objectives. But provinces cannot do this alone. The national government must also take responsibility and make it easier for the provinces to restore nature.”

Bet Schouten
The provinces and nature organizations point out that investing in Natura2000 areas alone is not enough: the environmental conditions for nature must also improve through measures outside N2000 areas. “The Netherlands faces major challenges. Nature conservation, as much economic perspective as possible for all sectors, reconstruction after the corona crisis and significant reduction in nitrogen deposition. These tasks must be tackled as integrally as possible. This calls for a new, nature-inclusive way of looking at our use of space. And that requires substantial investments, more than we are already doing together," says Peter Drenth on behalf of the 12 provinces in a statement.

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