Military training grounds
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 permitted, which is why the State Forestry finds limited damage by the military also acceptable. - Noorderhaaks (the Razende Bol)
- The sandbank Razende Bol, Ecomare
The Royal Navy used the uninhabited sandbank Noorderhaaks (the Razende Bol), west of the Marsdiep, as a shooting range. The sandbank was shot at from the sea front of Den Helder.
Noorderhaaks falls under the Nature Protection Act while the surrounding seawater falls under the North Sea coastal zone Natura 2000. Many of the animals that use the sandbank to rest are also protected by law. Recently, the judge determined that the Defense Department needs permission for practices according to the Flora and Fauna Act. Practices have been stopped until permission has been granted. - Mok Bay
- Breezand dike
- The Vliehors
- The danger zone of the Vliehors, Ecomare
Since 1956, the Air Force has been practicing on the Vliehors, the large beach plain on the west side of Vlieland. They train with bombs, rockets and guns from airplanes on an average of 180 days per year. There is no training in the weekends. Furthermore, explosives are not allowed in the period from Mach 1 till September 15.
The shooting range for the Air Force located on the western tip of Vlieland. The airplanes fly in from the North Sea and from the Afsluitdijk (IJsselmeer Causeway) over the Wadden Sea.
The jets produce a tremendous amount of noise disturbance, including the residents of De Cocksdorp on Texel. Therefore since 1995, the number of practices using heavy bombs has been limited. Another problem is pollution. 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.
Up till April 2004, the Cavalry training center (CSK) from the Army was also located on Vlieland. They used the Vliehors to practice with tanks. - The Marnewaard
- The danger zone of the Marnewaard, Ecomare
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 part of the wadden region which falls under international protection. The shooting range and target region also lie outside the area which falls under the Third Note Wadden Sea. However, a part of the unsafe area lies within. The Marnewaard is situated in a nature area where millions of shorebirds live.
The shooting range is used 14 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 as to the effects of the shooting practices and military traffic on the birds were performed by ALTERRA (now IMARES). The scientists could not find any proof 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 Defense. 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 10 to 20 days per year but 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 cannons 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. - Navy bases
- Navy harbour in Den Helder., Ecomare
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
- Low flying route over the Wadden Sea, Ecomare
Special routes and minimum flying altitudes have been established for military air traffic in order to limit the inconveniences for the islands.
Above northeastern 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 Leeuwarden Air Base 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.
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