North Holland accelerates nature network plans for Eastern Vecht Lakes
The Province of North Holland is moving forward with plans to transform 550 hectares of land into permanent nature reserves in the Eastern Vecht Lakes. Local landowners and residents will be consulted as agricultural plots are reclassified to protect biodiversity and combat environmental pressures.
| Key Data Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Province | North Holland |
| Project | Dutch Nature Network (NNN) in Eastern Vecht Lakes |
| Sub-areas involved | Kortenhoef-East, Weersloot, Ster van Loosdrecht, Het Hol |
| Future talks (from 2029) | Ankeveen, Kortenhoef-West, Vuntus |
| Land to be converted | ~550 hectares |
| Current land use | Agricultural |
| New land designation | Permanent nature |
| Project decision timeline | Expected completion around 2028 |
| Stakeholders involved | Landowners, Municipality of Wijdemeren, Municipality of Hilversum (from 2027) |
| Environmental pressures | Drought, fragmentation |
The Province of North Holland is responsible for regional spatial planning and environmental policy, including the implementation of the Dutch Nature Network (NNN). This initiative aims to enhance biodiversity and ecological resilience by designating and protecting natural areas within the province.
Pure gold (or black) ☕
Your support is worth gold. But honestly, black coffee makes us very happy too.
Read the full translated article below
Province to proceed with nature network in Eastern Vecht Lakes
The Province of North Holland is continuing with the implementation of the Dutch Nature Network (NNN) in the Eastern Vecht Lakes. To this end, the province will resume talks with landowners in several sub-areas in the coming period.
The province is also launching the planning procedure to change the designated use of the land within the NNN.
Talks with landowners to resume
The province has set aside funds to complete the NNN in the Eastern Vecht Lakes and is now taking concrete steps toward this goal. In the coming period, the province will resume talks with landowners about the implementation of the NNN in this area. This concerns the sub-areas of Kortenhoef-East, Weersloot, and the Ster van Loosdrecht. Landowners in these areas will receive a notification about this. For the areas of Ankeveen, Kortenhoef-West, and the Vuntus, the province expects to start talks about the implementation of the NNN from 2029 onwards. Talks with landowners in Het Hol have already (re)started.
From agricultural land to permanent nature
Some of the plots within the NNN currently serve an agricultural purpose. While these lands have already been designated as part of the nature network, their use has not yet been legally established as nature. The province now intends to do so, ensuring these lands retain a natural function in the long term. To this end, the province is preparing a project decision.
What the project decision entails
A project decision is an official government decision regarding a major project in public space, such as nature development, a road, or a dike. In this case, the province will establish that plots within the NNN will be designated as natural areas in the municipality’s environmental plan. This ensures they remain natural areas in the future. This project decision applies to three of the six sub-areas: Kortenhoef-East, Weersloot, and the Ster van Loosdrecht. The procedure for adopting the project decision is expected to run until around 2028. During this period, the province will actively engage landowners, local residents, and other stakeholders, including the Municipality of Wijdemeren and, from 2027, the Municipality of Hilversum. Read the proposal for the project decision and the participation plan.
Why the province is working on the NNN
The Eastern Vecht Lakes are a valuable and vulnerable natural area with a rich diversity of plants and animals. At the same time, the area’s nature is under pressure, among other things due to drought and fragmentation. For this reason, the province has earmarked funds in the programming for the NNN Implementation Strategy 2025 to complete the NNN in the Eastern Vecht Lakes. Approximately 550 hectares of new nature still needs to be created in this area. By connecting natural areas, the ecosystem becomes more resilient and better equipped to withstand future changes.
More information about this project is available on noord-holland.nl/easternvechtlakes.
Share on:
To leave a comment, you must first log in.