The announcement that the Cabinet plans to cut approximately 24 million from the National Parks budget in the Spring Note 2025 and the subsequent supplementary budget has completely blindsided the National Parks. Various actions are currently underway asking the Cabinet to reconsider and reverse the announced cuts to the National Parks.
Letter on behalf of the National Parks Partnership
The National Parks Partnership (NPP), together with partners ANWB, LandschappenNL, HISWA-RECRON, IVN, and NBTC, sent a letter to the Parliamentary Committee LVVN on May 14. You can find the letter here.
Petition from National Parks
The National Parks have initiated a petition Save Our National Parks. They are calling on the Dutch people to sign the petition and thus save the National Parks. The National Parks are not just nature areas but places where 6 million Dutch people learn, live, work, and enjoy nature together. If the cuts proceed, the National Parks state that:
- Education and nature experiences for children will disappear.
- Volunteers and guides will be abandoned.
- Cooperation with residents, recreational entrepreneurs, and farmers will stop.
- Visitor centers will have to close their doors.
You can find the petition here: https://petities.nl/petitions/red-onze-nationale-parken
Support from provinces
The provinces also support the National Parks. On May 16, the Interprovincial Consultation (IPO) published a message on their website titled: National parks deserve no cuts after broad support. You can read the IPO's contribution here.