Military training grounds in the Netherlands
In the international wadden regions, there are
practice and shooting areas for the army and air force, test regions
for military material and areas for low-flying and anti-aircraft
practices. Most of the activities occur in the western part of the
Dutch wadden region. Since 1995, there has been a decline in these
practices and some training grounds have been closed down.
Dutch training areas
The Vliehors on Vlieland and the Marnewaard in the Lauwersmeer
region are the largest military training grounds in the Netherlands. In
addition, the sea around the Noorderhaaks is used as a shooting range
from the Zeefront near Den Helder. There is also an amphibian training
camp, the Mok, situated on Texel. Weapons are tested on the
Breezanddijk and a large part of the eastern Wadden Sea has been
designated as a low-flying route.
Military activities have a strained relationship with nature
conservation. Noise disturbances caused by military practices in
particular is a problem. In addition, the government has plans to
remove 2500 to 3000 hectare of military terrains from the Ecological
Main Structure, via the Structure Scheme Military Terrains (SMT2). This
includes the infantry practice terrain Marnewaard. Such plans mean
breaks in connected protected nature areas. All of these regions fall
outside of the Bird and Habitat Directive.
In March 2000, the State Forestry
proposed allowing the military access to their land in exchange for
management of the military training grounds. Because these lands often
border each other, the motivation behind this proposal is to connect
them together to create large nature areas. Military usage would have
to satisfy certain conditions, such as guaranteeing no irreversible
damage. Damage created by hikers and bicyclist is already permittted,
which is why the State Forestry finds limited damage by the military
also acceptable.
Noorderhaaks (the Razende Bol)
The Royal Navy uses the uninhabited sandbank Noorderhaaks (the
Razende Bol), west of the Marsdiep, as a shooting range. The sandbank
is shot at from the sea front of Den Helder.
In the Master Scheme for Military Practice Terrains, the Razende Bol
has been temporarily appointed to remain available for the Defence
Department. Military practices disturb the animals on the sandbank and
lots of ammunition containing many heavy metals is left behind. For
tourists and Defence alike, the western half of the bank is taboo.
The shooting practices are based upon "old rights", according to a
spokesman from the LNV. However, strict arrangements have been made as
to what is allowed and not allowed. In any case, damage within the
closed area is avoided and no practices are held during the period that
the seals nurse their young.
Zeefront
This is a number of small practice terrains on the landside of the
dike by Den Helder. They lie just outside of the borders of the
protected international wadden region, however the shooting ranges (the
protected zone) reach into the protected wadden region. Shooting takes
place in the direction of the Noorderhaaks from the sea dike.
The Vliehors
Stationary targets standing in the direction of the Wadden Sea are
shot at with tank cannons and machine-guns. In contrast to Marnewaard,
there are no butts here. The danger zone, which primarily stretches out
into the Wadden Sea, has a total surface area of 105 km2. The minimum
flying altitude is 12 kilometers. The camp, the target area and the
danger zone all lie within the PKB-Wadden Sea region.
The shooting range lies on the western tip of Vlieland and is 335
hectares on land. The danger zone is 3750 hectares. The limited flying
area is 68,900 hectares. The range is approached over the Wadden Sea
and North Sea from the Afsluitdike.
The jets produce a tremendous amount of noise disturbance during
practices. Furthermore, the ground around the shooting targets is quite
polluted. Eight hundred cubic meters of ground around the targets on
the Vliehors were found to be seriously contaminated with heavy metals
and chlorinated hydrocarbons. The groundwater contained cadmium and
arsenic.
The shooting and bombarding practices performed in connection with
the NATO cause the most problems for the residents of De Cocksdorp on
Texel. Due to protests from "surrounding residents", the number of
weapon practices with the so-called high explosives have been limited
since 1995. That was the result of a meeting between the court of Mayor
and Aldermen on Texel and Undersecretary Frinking from Defence.
Furthermore, the air force has promised to concentrate in limited
blocks of time, whereby the inhabitants of Texel are to be notified in
advance. The pilots are not allowed to cross the zone boundaries. This
lies one sea mile (1.85 km) from the low water line on Texel. Pilots
that cross this border are sent back to their base.
The town council on Texel would like to limit the practices on the
Vliehors as much as possible. Due to the growing tourism in the
vicinity of De Cocksdorp, the town council has asked the undersecretary
of Defence to expand the time period when shooting is not allowed and
to end evening practices. According to the undersecretary, it is
necessary to keep practicing in the evenings as well as to continue
with training during the high season. Texel has the impression that the
number of practices have increased enormously over the past years and
now wants to determine if the environmental license from Defence, which
dates from the 1950s and '60s, needs to be renewed. If this appears to
be the case, the town can use their influence, by participation during
the inquiry procedure, as to how the sandbank should be used.
The Marnewaard
The Marnewaard is a military training ground situated to the
northeast of the Lauwersmeer, on the border between Friesland and
Groningen. This practice area was first used in 1989 and encompasses an
area 2080 hectares, including the danger zone. It is situated just
outside of the international protected part of the wadden region. The
shooting range and target region lie outside the area which falls under
the Third PKB-Wadden Sea. However, a part of the unsafe area lies
within. The Marnewaard is situated in a nature area where millions of
waders forage and breed.
The shooting range is used fourteen weeks per year, three days per
week and an average of 1300 shots per day, which produces a noise level
up to more than 90 decibels. It is true that in the past few years
practices occur less often than before, however it is still the only
terrain in the Netherlands where 25 millimeter cannons are used.
Many water fowl live in the Lauwersmeer region. Studies were
performed by ALTERRA (now IMARES) as to the effects of the shooting
practices and military traffic on the birds. The scientists could not
prove that there was a relationship between the practices and the
appearances of disruption among the birds. It was unclear whether the
birds reacted to the noise disturbance or to other disturbances in the
nature area.
German practice terrain
The Meldorfer Bight (a large bay north of the mouth of the Elbe) is
the only military practice area located in the German wadden region. It
is a testing area for new weapons from the German Department of
Defence. Shooting takes place from the sea dike, while the targets lie
on the tidal flats. Seven hundred hectares of the safety zone (in total
12,000 hectare) lies in the core zone of the National Park. Practices
occur ten to twenty days per year and outside the period of mid April
through the end of October when lots of shelducks come here to molt.
Danish practice terrains
 The
northern part of the Danish island Rømø is a shooting
range for military NATO planes, which practice with canons and rockets.
In general, no practices occur in the month of July.
Landing practices take place in the Ho Bugt and on the peninsula Skallingen.
The large practice and shooting terrain Oksbül lies just
north of the international wadden region. During practices in August
and September, there are flights in the air corridors above the
northern part of the Danish wadden region for one or two days.
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Navy bases:
The navy bases in Den Helder and Wilhelmshaven are used in a similar
manner as the regular commercial ports in the wadden region. Specific
military activities do not occur here.
Low-flying routes
Special routes and minimum flying altitudes have been established
for military air traffic in order to limit the inconveniences for the
islands.
Above the northeast Netherlands lies a low-flying route for NATO air
force practices. Fighter planes are permitted to fly at a minimum
altitude of 250 feet (75 meters) in this route. However low-flying has
been temporarily suspended above the entire Wadden Sea: jet fighters
are not allowed to fly any lower than 1000 feet (300 meters).
The German, low-flying areas are Leybucht, the Outer Weserand the Jadebusen.
A number of military air fields lie just outside of the
international wadden region: De Kooy near Den Helder and the air base
Leeuwarden in the Netherlands; near Jever, Wittmund, Nordholz,
Eggebek/Tarp and Kropp in Germany; and one near Skrydstrup in Denmark.
Between 1985 and 1990, there was talk of either shifting or ending
the low-flying routes, which led to a decline in the number of
low-flying flights in 1991 to a maximum of 2000 per year. In 2006,
Captain Faber of the Air Force pleaded for abolishing the routes so
that the pilots could fly low over the entire Netherlands. By
abolishing the routes, the regions where the routes lie would be
unburdened, but other areas would become inconvenienced.
The Waddenvereniging had already protested against the low-flying
practices. It was afraid of extra disturbance for foraging and resting
birds. The organization feels it is being supported by the PKB Wadden
Sea, which states: 'temporary flying routes from international
practices will no longer be diverted over the Wadden Sea'. Even the
ANWB (Dutch Automobile Association) protested against the NATO
low-flying practices finding them inconsistent with the PKB.
The Management Plan for the Wadden Sea from 1996 referred to a
change in policy for the low-flying route which runs north-south on the
west side of Schiermonnikoog. In order to limit the noise disturbance
as much as possible, the maximum speed has been lowered during regular
use from 850 to 780 km/hour and a maximum formation of four aeroplanes.
In addition, the number of flights has decreased on a year basis from
3000 to 2000. The minimum flying altitude above land and the North Sea
is 75 meters and may only be flown on Monday through Thursday.
Weblinks
Information and statistics about military use of the Wadden Sea:
http://www.waddenloket.nl/index.php?id=169
Practice locations for the air force:
http://www.luchtmacht.nl/leeuwarden/operatiesenoefeningen/oefeningen/oefenlocaties.html
Low-flying routes of the air force:
http://www.luchtmacht.nl/main/veiligheidenmilieu/laagvliegroutes/laagvliegroutes.html
Navy Air Camp De Kooy:
http://www.marine.nl/nlmarfor/helikopters/
