Are you a resident, municipality or insulation company and want to insulate a home or building? The province of Drenthe has established a method together with municipalities that makes it easier for its residents to save energy and protect animals: the pre-species management plan (pre-SMP). A Utrecht methodology that the province of Drenthe has adopted.
Protection of animals
Insulating homes frequently disturbs or kills birds or bats. If work is not done differently, many of these species are lost. The Environment Act requires that these species be protected. Before you start insulation work, therefore, research must first be done. Often these are lengthy investigations that also cost a lot of money.
To still insulate in the short term, the province offers Drenthe the pre-SMP methodology. The municipality is then granted a temporary environmental permit on the condition that the municipality immediately starts the surveys and preparation for a full-fledged species management plan. In this way, municipalities conduct ecological research for an area or the entire municipality at once. And take measures to protect species present. This eliminates the need for individual ecological research for each property.
Commissioner Egbert van Dijk: "With nature-friendly insulation, sustainability goes hand in hand with species protection. By working in a nature-friendly way, birds, bats or other species get the chance to move around before insulation is done."
Working according to the nature calendar
April through July is the maternity and breeding period of many of these building-dwelling species. During this period, protected animals should not be disturbed or driven from their habitats. The species are then unable to move without their young dying. It is therefore extra important for insulation companies to work according to the nature calendar.
So do you want to save energy and protect birds and bats? Ask your insulation company if they can insulate your home in a nature-friendly way. And contact your municipality to inquire whether they have or are preparing a (pre)- species management plan environmental permit. For more information, see the Drenthe County website.
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