Roelof Prikken emphasizes that he speaks purely in a personal capacity, but it is an opinion that haunts the villages around the Holtingerveld. Local residents, associations and entrepreneurs are concerned about the future of the nature reserve. Because no matter how beautiful the plans that provincial ecologist Hans Dekker presented for the summer holidays, who can guarantee that things will get better.
“The necessary adjustments have already been made and we have all been able to see where that led to,” Prikken refers to the flooding in winter as a result of filling in some ditches. “And look at the runway? It is full of bird cherry, while the biotope there would be improved. It was intended that the contours of the runway would be visible from the parking lot. If nothing happens, things will grow over there.” According to De Havelter, that strip has been much too wet, so that all the lime has been washed out. “I don’t see any flowers, you just get storage from reeds. The luck is that the summer is very dry, so that reed has less chance. And there were always green woodpeckers here. They have disappeared, you hardly see any birds here anymore.”
Reinforcing natural values
It stings the concerned Havelter and many residents are afraid that the area will soon be taboo for mountain bikers, horses and youth camps, for example. “They want to strengthen the natural values and say that the Holtingerveld should not be seen as a recreational area. What has been done so far has been a total failure.” Prikken points to a number of activities that are now banned, which gives associations a blow, and fears the quality of life.
Roelof Prikken leads the way during a round in the area. In addition to the large amount of bird cherry, he shows the field full of scallops on the other side of the runway. It has faded and looks messy. “That must represent a heathland area. And they want to create a grain field there, just like it was before the war. A sloping field, which means that a footpath has to be moved and several trees have to be felled. Just look at all those orange dots. They think the partridge will return there. Do you know how many foxes are here?”
Stakeholders, if necessary, go to court: ‘apparently we have no right to speak’
The village communities that are involved with the Holtingerveld definitely want to participate in the discussion about the plans that are being forged for the future. However, this group of stakeholders has been sidelined for years and the conversation that took place before the summer holidays did not ultimately yield the desired result.
It bothers chairman Winfried Buijen of the Village Community Darp, Havelterberg and Busselte and he is sure that it is no different with colleagues from Uffelte, Wapserveen, Havelte and Wittelte. “We have been working from the village communities since 2008, or perhaps longer, to be allowed to talk. Just before the holidays, we had a conversation with people from the province, but we can’t find what was discussed there in the letter we just received.”
No right to speak
The chairman indicates that there are in fact three parties: the owners of the land, the province and the stakeholders. “The latter group consists of users, tourists and local residents, who are represented by the village communities.” Buijen points to a management plan that has already been drawn up for the Holtingerveld. “As users, we are never aware of that, we apparently have no right to speak. At the beginning of this year, we once again indicated to the province that we would like to participate in discussions and ideas. We would like to show our points of view and be a fully-fledged discussion partner”, explains Buijen. But the conversation before the holiday led to another disappointment. “If there is no other option, we will go to the judiciary to be able to give our input. This does not benefit anyone at all, because it costs a lot of time, money and energy. If we don’t get a promise from the province, we’ll look higher up first. Then we will approach the commissioners and/or the King’s Commissioner.”
Artificial nature
Prikken expressly questions the ideas of nature people, does not see the added value of it and speaks of artificial nature. “It is sad and sad, the policy is made by people who do not live here and are not aware of the things that are going on here. They don’t know what it feels like when everything is banned.”
What also stings Prikken is that the Westerveld municipality is not doing anything. “The joint village communities have worked on it and have sought contact with the province, perhaps something will come out.” A little further on, Prikken shows a small sand drift and a dry ditch, over which a few planks are laid for the mountain bike route. The heather blooms there like never before, but according to Prikken this was once a much larger sand drift.