National Park

Why is the Grenspark Kalmthoutse Heide a candidate to become Flanders National Park?
The Grenspark Kalmthoutse Heide is a unique and cross-border nature reserve covering about 6000ha. The area feels borderless and endless due to the great diversity in the landscape, which consists of heathland, fens, forests and sand dunes. As a Habitats and Birds Directive area, the Grenspark is part of the Natura 2000 network, which provides sustainable protection for the most important natural areas throughout Europe. On the Dutch side, the area is already part of the Network of National Parks. 

With this call, the Flemish government wants to recognise more nature areas as National Park Flanders and thus prevent fragmentation of nature. Recognition is necessary to ensure protection and resources in the future as well. Grenspark Kalmthoutse Heide together with its partners under the banner of National Parks, wants to continue working on quality nature and on recreational and touristic development of the region. 

What does recognition mean and what are the benefits?
Recognition as a National Park means a guarantee of its preservation as a natural landscape. The Flemish government wants to bring more uniformity in the management and conservation of Flemish nature reserves and combat fragmentation. Grenspark Kalmthoutse heide is a unique landscape area in the province of Antwerp. The park annually attracts many visitors who also support the local economy. Besides its international appeal, the National Park label has a positive impact on the region: a healthier living environment for local residents, recreational opportunities close to home, extra income for entrepreneurs, more biodiversity. 

Will the Grenspark expand?
The current contour of Grenspark Kalmthoutse Heide covers 6,000ha. To stand a chance of recognition, the area must grow over a period of 20 years to an area of at least 10,000ha on both sides of the national border. The planned expansion concerns space that is already nature reserve today, but is scattered in the region. So it does not concern areas that today have a function other than nature.

What does recognition mean for local residents and private owners of the Grenspark?
National Parks are not a regulatory initiative, but an incentive one. Additional regulatory initiatives are not envisaged in National Parks. Licensing remains unchanged based on existing regulations related to spatial planning or under nature legislation such as Natura2000. 

Private owners who are involved in the contour of a national park and wish to contribute to objectives from the master plan can always do so on a voluntary basis. This may involve actions related to nature development or to other objectives from the master plan.

Does the National Park label have implications with regard to agriculture and businesses?
National Parks do not impose additional obligations on farmers or businesses as part of the permit process. Farmers in the region are our neighbours and agriculture is important for our region. Licensing remains unchanged on the basis of existing regulations relating to spatial planning or under nature legislation such as Natura2000.

Is hunting still allowed in a Flemish National Park?
A Flemish Park does not impose any additional legal obligations or restrictions.

What does the further procedure look like?
Grenspark Kalmthoutse heide has from March 2022 to the end of May 2023 (the deadline for submission was extended by three months) to draw up the master plan. In doing so, we focus on the applicable guidelines of the Flemish government (Agency for Nature and Forests). A new decree is currently being drafted that outlines the framework for drawing up the master plan. 

The six area coalitions can now embark on a guidance process to draw up a master plan and operational plan. The candidates will receive a grant of €100,000 for this purpose per candidate. At the end of the guidance trajectory, the master plan and operational plan will be assessed by the jury. The final allocation of the four parks that will bear the Flanders National Park label will follow in mid-2023. The selected nature reserves will now be supervised by the Flemish government with a view to a final selection and decision in 2023. 

Read the preliminary version of the Master Plan National Park Kalmthoutse Heide here: masterplan National Park Kalmthoutse Heide

Who decides which candidates may receive the Flemish National Park label?
The decision on awarding the label lies with the Flemish Government. The selection is guided by a jury:

• Chairman of the jury
  Geert Noels, Economist at Econopolis
• Experts from the Flemish government
  Els Brouwers for Tourism Flanders
  Christophe Vandevoort for the Environment Department
  Jan Bastiaens for the Flanders Heritage Agency
  Dries Gorissen for the Agency for Nature and Forests
• External experts
  Flemish architect Erik Wieërs - expert on the area
  Prof. Jan van der Borg - expert on sustainable tourism, professor at the KUL
  Prof. Hans Van Dyck - expert Ecology, Professor of Behavioural Ecology & Nature Conservation at the Earth & Life Institute of UCLouvain
  Luc Bas - expert on protected areas, policy director European Environmental Agency 
• Foreign experts
  Janneke Van Montfort - director National Parks Agency of the Netherlands
  Georgette Leltz - director National Park Hollandse Dunes Netherlands

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This candidacy for recognition as a National Park is/was subsidised under the project call National Parks, commissioned by the Flemish Government.