You cannot change a landscape from one day to the other. It took 16 years to finally realise the new wetland area near Haarby Å. The project was achieved through dialogue with the landowners and by allowing for plenty of time for reflection along the way.
In 1998, the County of Funen applied for funds under the Action Plan for the Aquatic Environment II to remeander Haarby Å with a view to reducing discharges of nitrogen into Helnæs Bay.
First, the county obtained funding to carry out preliminary surveys. In the subsequent phase, funding was awarded to realise the project.
After this, dialogue and negotiations with the 16 landowners in the area began. This included a series of collective meetings and individual meetings at which the landowners had their say and at which specific and realistic opportunities for the project and for establishing agreements were identified.
In practice, the Danish AgriFish Agency was responsible for the land consolidation process and for negotiating compensation with landowners. However, the Municipality of Assens was also involved in the dialogue with landowners.
During the process, a local-government reform meant discontinuation of the County of Funen and expansion of the Municipality of Assens. The process to establish the wetland continued alongside these changes.
"We succeeded in reaching agreements with everyone, because we allowed everyone plenty of time for reflection. Sometimes we need time to reflect in negotiation procedures like these, so that opportunities for agreements can mature," said Gunilla Ørbech, project manager and biologist at the department for nature and the environment in the Municipality of Assens.
Landowners were eligible for a one-off compensation payment under the Action Plan for the Aquatic Environment II. Compensation was determined, e.g. on the basis of hydraulic impact studies of the relevant land plots. In simple terms, these studies showed how wet, or not, the land would become.
The changes to the land were recorded in the Land Register.
In 2014, all negotiations were completed and establishment of the new wetland commenced.