Restoration of nature in Drenthe and offering perspective to farmers cannot take place without the inhabitants themselves being involved.
Properly arranging the participation of residents is the biggest task of the so-called Drents Program Rural Area (DPLG), says deputy Henk Jumelet (CDA). He published a draft of this plan on Friday. It is the ‘homework’ that all provinces of the government must complete before 1 July. Former minister of agriculture Carola Schouten laid this down in law.
The reason for drawing up these plans is the nitrogen problem. The provinces are responsible for nature conservation and must indicate what needs to be done to reduce the nitrogen deposition in their protected nature areas. It also involves keeping water and soil clean and adapting the landscape to climate change.
Blindfold
The province drew up the plans together with water boards, municipalities and agricultural and nature organisations. It had to be blindfolded. Because the government has not yet sorted out a large number of important matters. “Think of the agricultural agreement that was supposed to be ready in March, but about which the cabinet is still negotiating with agricultural organizations and other parties. We have no idea what exactly will come out of that, but it is important for our DPLG.”
Another factor is that provincial elections just took place in March and that in Drenthe, as in most other provinces, the formation of a new College of Provincial Executive is still in full swing. The cabinet has also not yet found a solution for the PAS notifiers, farmers who, due to the much-discussed nitrogen ruling of the Council of State in 2019, suddenly need a permit for previous business expansions.
“So we don’t have a lot of important information yet,” says Jumelet. “I call this the plan 0.5. The other half is yet to come.”
Major drought and extreme precipitation
The DPLG already describes typical features of the Drenthe landscape, with what the province believes should be done to increase the natural values. In addition, adaptation is necessary due to climate change. Periods of severe drought and extreme precipitation alternate more often, requiring more space to store water.
Agriculture plays a major role in all these plans, which is why Jumelet argues that much more clarity is needed for farmers. “Think, for example, of ‘safeguarding innovations’ on farms. By that I mean that a farmer must be sure that it pays to invest in, for example, a different stable floor. He or she should not be told after a few years that the floor does not work to reduce nitrogen emissions. And he must be able to earn back the investment. Logical conditions, but difficult to define.”
On Wednesday 28 June, members of the Drenthe parliament will discuss the draft DPLG, after which it can go to the minister just in time. “The final plan must be ready before April 1 next year,” says Jumelet. “It is a tough task, but that is up to the new college. I certainly think it is possible to arrange things properly in Drenthe.”