Makan

As part of the Approach to Nitrogen Program (PAS), the Forestry Commission is taking nature restoration measures in the Natura 2000 areas of Punthuizen, Stroothuizen and Beuninger Achterveld. This landscape plan is a spatial development of the measures in the Natura2000 areas and provides a vision of what the landscape can look like on farmland. It is in line with the area analysis and the design plan for 'Punthuizen-Stroothuizen'. This landscape plan is used as a basis for the Provincial Integration Plan and the Environmental Impact Report. It has no formal status but does offer landscape guidelines for the final design of the area.

In the current situation, the landscape lacks connection with the geomorphological basis. The geomorphology of the landscape consists of three high ridges and three valley-shaped depressions. Due to desiccation and afforestation, monocultures of Scots pine and purple moor-grass developed in the lowlands. The depressions have fallen dry and as a result the geomorphology has become less visible as structural support of the landscape. In our vision, we suggest more openness in the area so that the geomorphological structure becomes visible again.

Here the south-north oriented depressions pattern is leading in the landscape. To restore this pattern, a lot of excess forest will be removed in the Natura 2000 areas. East-west oriented hedgerows that are situated at right angles to the main structure will be thinned heavily in order to not disturb the depressions pattern. Monumental and iconic trees are preserved. The landscape plan shows the measures that lead to openness and variety in the landscape. These measures counteract cluttering and lead to a readable landscape in which the habitat types are developed which have already been proposed in the area analysis.

The residents’ views from the residents’ documents were taken as the starting point for the vision on the design of the young reclaimed landscape. This mainly comes down to the enlargement and straightening of the plot boundaries so that agricultural areas are structurally improved. With the proposed spatial interventions, we aim to restore the original landscape