GroenLinks wants hundreds of millions for construction of new nature reserve

GroenLinks wants to connect the Oostvaardersplassen and the Veluwe and revive the plan to create the Oostvaarderswold reserve, which was discarded years ago. To do this, 1,000 to 2,000 hectares of nature links must be created.

The cost of this, which amounts to 250 to 400 million euros, is to be paid from the 24 billion euros earmarked by the cabinet for the nitrogen approach and from other provincial, national and European budgets for the creation of natural areas.

According to GroenLinks, this will create an "ecologically connected natural area of over 15,000 hectares." By connecting the two areas and giving space to nature, it will be strengthened where nitrogen "has less influence," the party said on Saturday.

In 2010, former state secretary Henk Bleker (Agriculture and Nature) had drawn a line under the Oostvaarderswold project. He did not want farmland to be converted into nature. Flevoland wanted to continue the project, but that did not happen. However, GroenLinks now wants the project to be realized after all. The party will fight for this with politicians in The Hague and also with the provincial councils of Flevoland and Gelderland.

"Years of right-wing policies have ensured that nature is in a bad state," said GroenLinks leader Jesse Klaver. "We need more nature. That's why we need to think big. GroenLinks doesn't want to build additional highways and airports, but the largest nature reserve in the Netherlands."

"For us, all nature areas in Flevoland are protected and not only the Natura2000 areas," added Corina Straatsma, list leader of GroenLinks Flevoland. "We want the nature reserves in Flevoland to be combined into a coherent network, including a link to the Veluwe."

Gelderland's GroenLinks list leader Charlotte de Roo said the construction of Oostvaarderswold will provide more area for large grazing animals. "It also gives the wolf space for natural wildlife management."