The Netherlands -- Caring and Cooperation

Mary Gray, FHWA
(208) 334-9180 x123

Both wildlife and habitat are protected in the Netherlands with green bridges.

The Netherlands is becoming less varied. Human activities are the reason for this. Large parts of the country have been drained, nature conservation areas have been dissected by roads and canals, and fertilizers have infiltrated the ground water Although not all plant and animal species are equally badly affected, the great majority are in declining numbers. This is abundantly clear for those species designated as "endangered" The extensive road network has fragmented many ecologically important areas into such small pieces that certain species and ecological communities can no longer survive or will die out in the future.

Four types of impacts have been identified:

• habitat destruction,
• disturbance to habitats,
• roads as barriers,
• and the wounding and killing of animals by road traffic.

A series of coordinated means are being used to counter these impacts including avoidance, mitigation, compensation and optimization. The principle underlying compensation is that no net loss of ecological value should arise as a result of road construction or improvement

The Netherlands has a national connectivity plan that is looked at in relation to the transportation system and projects and they are definitely playing a leadership role in the European community in the area of wildlife and transportation. Ten years ago, action groups and various authorities and services in the Netherlands established the adequate measurements be taken in response to the increasing fragmentation of the Dutch countryside for the few remaining species. This realization has since been translated into objectives and programs at all levels of policymaking. . A range of measures have been implements alongside, under and above existing and new motorways to counter the negative impacts of roads on nature The best know examples of measures taken to counteract fragmentation or mitigate its effects are "green bridges or ecoducts. In most instances these measures also involve plantings and fences that guide the animals towards the facilities and prevent them from crossing the road.

Extensive systems of culverts (approximately 600) have been retrofitted using maintenance funds. The installation was based on a system wide plan. Ten pipe-culvert systems were designed specifically for amphibians and are strategically located to provide for seasonal movements. They have also modified existing bridges and culverts for waterways by providing dry passage on wood or earthen shelves along the inside of the structures to provide for primarily small mammal movement. Four overpasses have been constructed from 17 to 50 meters wide. They have done both the hourglass shape and straight sides with both fences and earthen berms for noise and light protection. Tree stumps are placed on or under structures to provide cover for small species habitat and passage. They have used sand beds, inkpads and infrared cameras for detecting animal movement over structures.

Non-governmental organizations play a major role in the Netherlands both as advocates as well as partners in these efforts. An example of this very synergistic partnership is The Society for the Preservation of Nature in the Netherlands, which is responsible for the daily management of migrations measures constructed as part of A1 (a multilane high speed facility). Installations of Badger tunnels as well as changes being made to the bordering countryside are the result of a non-governmental organization pressure on the Environmental and Transportation Ministry.

Unique among the countries we visited is the Netherlands national efforts to utilize right-of-ways as both plant and animal habitat. Certain animal species have increased because of this approach. There are now more plant species on Dutch right of ways than in agricultural areas. Endangered plant species in the Netherlands are now found regularly along rights of way thanks to an ecological management approach to right of way management. This approach to utilization of rights of way as plant and animal habitats is now common and is considered to cost no more or to be even cheaper than mowing.