We actually have a lot but not thanks to the government but thanks to organisations like Stichting Natuurmonumenten which is a private foundation that bought up f.i the Naardermeer when it was about to be turned into a rubbish dump in the early 1900s. The nobility and farmers also protected their estates. What the State has done, is actually the opposite: nobody now really cares for the natural parks so you end up with situations like the Oostvaardersplassen where 1000s of wildlife died because there was no food around. It is mainly farmers and voluntary organisations like Stichting Het Utrechts Landschap and their local variants as well as the local
waterschappen who do the most maintaining the landscape. As for government institutions like
Staatsbosbeheer or even
the municipalities ? Well..
scandal after
scandal after
scandal. Often to sell the wood for biofuels or to make extra money or to build roads that nobody needs (like widening the Scheveningseweg in Den Haag or ramming a beltway through Amersfoort's forests on its southern flank). The trees that have been "harvested" are then sold to the highest bidder as "biofuel". With their record ? The government is just about the very last institution that I would want to give control over the environment or land management.
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