Dtv News – More space for large grazers in future Maashorst nature reserve plan

From 2035, the grazing area for wild grazers will be extended. This is one of the points of the development plan for the Maashorst nature reserve, which was presented on Thursday.

This plan was drawn up by the municipalities of Maashorst, Oss and Bernheze and Staatsbosbeheer and the water authority of Aa en Maas. Feedback from advisory councils and citizens has also been integrated, for which four passing moments were organized at the end of last year.

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This is a concept plan in which the partners describe what Maashorst nature reserve will look like in 2050. The aim is to make Maashorst the most attractive nature reserve. The plan is actually a continuation of the 2009 Maashorst Manifesto.

four pillars

This is done on the basis of four themes, namely restoring the water system and raising the water level to prevent drought, finding a nature of process in which nature takes its own course and seeking a good balance between leisure and nature, as both the answer when nature is under pressure.

A fourth point is the extension of the grazing area from 2035. “If people intervene minimally in nature, the grazing area will have to be extended”, say the parties. However, aldermen Jeroen van den Heuvel (Maashorst) and Rien Wijdeven (Bernheze) say they understand the concerns about large grazers. “That’s why we are also postponing the expansion to 2035 so that we can see how we can expand grazing under certain conditions,” explains Van den Heuvel.

According to Wijdeven, what citizens will notice in the future vision of the area is the appearance of the nature reserve. “An attractive outer shell in which a lot of recreation and relaxation is possible, but the closer you get to the natural core, the more choices are made,” he refers to the desire to expand the grazing area. “A recent report shows that the natural shell manifests beautifully and provides more biodiversity. We want to reinforce this.”

Not concrete

The size of the grazing area is unclear. “There is nothing concrete to say about it. It is really a long-term plan, ”says Van den Heuvel. Also for the other topics, no concrete figures are mentioned in the plan to make the more concrete vision. “The vision is really where we want to go in thirty or forty years. After that, we’ll give it hands and feet with partners,” adds Wijdeven.

The area plan that was presented on Thursday is a concept that has been approved by the councils of B and W van Maashorst, Oss and Bernheze. The plan will be discussed by the various municipal councils in December.