Farmers suddenly 'peak loader' due to added nature

There is something wrong with the way in which the province of Gelderland draws nature on its area maps. The biggest flaw is that no one can see those cards. Why are those nature maps not simply available in a common format, so that anyone with a home, garden and kitchen computer can check them?

I installed a GIS program on my computer, studied the accompanying manual for an afternoon, but then a whole new world opens up for you. For example, the nature map in the nitrogen model Aerius shows that the Province of Gelderland is drawing up a lot of new nature. Thousands of hectares on the cards often very close to farms† It is also striking that it concerns nitrogen-sensitive nature.

Calculate peak tax yourself
This must have consequences in the nitrogen calculations for those companies. The national government has provided an Aerius Purchase Calculator. This allows farmers to calculate for themselves whether their business causes peak loads on nature. At least, here too, some more computer skills are required. On the nature map in Aerius I found quite a few farms in the floodplains of the large rivers (the Rhine branches) where a clump of nitrogen-sensitive meadow bird grass was drawn in front of the door.

With which I want to indicate that it concerns a lot of small pieces. The situation is like this: the farm is on one side of the main road, the clump of meadow bird grass on the other side. That clump of meadow bird grass is probably not there in reality (Aerius also says that its presence is uncertain), but the natural patch is on the virtual habitat map in Aerius.

Move company back
What consequences does that have, such a clump of meadow bird grass so close to the door? The Aerius Purchase Calculator calculates approximately the maximum score for peak load for these farms. Apparently. Does it help if you move the farm 100 meters back? Indeed, this appears to help enormously. The Purchase Calculator halves the calculated peak load. A much faster and cheaper option to halve the peak load is to set the clump of nitrogen-sensitive meadow bird grass back a little.   

It is understandable that the Province of Gelderland wants to use every hectare for nature reserves that lay nature right up to the public road. It is a choice that the Province opts for nitrogen-sensitive nature up to the public road and on the border with the farms. And as far as I'm concerned, this is not the right choice, as long as the policy is determined on the basis of the results of the Aerius calculation model. In the virtual world of Aerius, adding to nature in this way means a significant increase in the nitrogen problem because peak loads are created.

Ghost Rotgers

Investigative journalist in the agricultural sector

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