New quays of sand and loam must keep the Fochteloërveen wet and preserve the special nature. This afternoon, deputy Henk Jumelet helped with the construction of such a quay.
His physical contribution can be called small, because a total of 50 kilometers of quay must be replaced in the Fochteloërveen. Of these, about 2 kilometers have actually been replaced. “A lot of sand still needs to be moved. There is work for the next 5 to 6 years, I was told,” says Jumelet.
To preserve the special nature in the Fochteloërveen, water retention is essential. The raised bog acts as a kind of sponge that absorbs water when it rains. Wooden quays helped to retain the water in the area. But due to global warming and the increasing drought, these quays came to lie above the peat and they started to rot. And therefore a chance for the water to flow out of the area.
As a result, the flora and fauna in the special nature reserve is endangered. “If we did nothing, rare animals would disappear from this area,” says Enit Scholtens of Natuurmonumenten. “This area also retains a lot of CO2. But when it dries out, it releases that CO2.”
It is very important to the provinces of Drenthe and Fryslân to maintain the Fochteloërveen. “We work well together as provinces and we also do that with the nature organizations involved here,” says Jumelet. “We have the same goal: to preserve this special nature and to make the environment more robust.”