The River Odense project process

How was the process for this project ?
It began with a telephone call to all the landowners to get permission for surveying the areas as a part of the technical/biological pre-investigation. After the pre-investigation, the consequences of the wetland project were presented and discussed with each landowner, where each landowner's requirements for e.g. substitution land were highlighted.
There followed a period of exchanges between contact to the landowners, public meetings and landowner meetings appointing a focus group to follow the project. Land distribution was started in a public meeting, which was followed by the appointing of a landowners’ committee.

The land distribution process began with a Wish/Question session for each landowner, whereby the consequences of the project for each landowner were explained, and any compensation requirement and/or land compensation emerged.
After that a phase of contact with the landowners and a drafting of a review for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) followed, a process with a hearing phase. After a period, it appeared there was greater support for the project in the project area based to the south of Nr. Broby, and the project was then split into two parts.

Implementation of Part 1 took place at landowner negotiations and was followed by regulatory proceedings by the authorities, which included hearing phases. The land distribution for part I was finally concluded by 1 September 2007. A process involving detailed project engineering and contact with landowners began, followed by a construction phase which ended in November 2008.

A similar process ran for Part II, with the concluding land distribution on 1 September 2009 and the end of the construction phase in September 2010.

What influence has been possible during the process?
A secretariat was set up to manage the administration and implementation of the project.
At the start of the project in 2004 a steering committee was set up with representatives from: Agricultural associations, Municipalities, The Danish Food Industry Agency, the Danish Green Organizations and The Danish Forest and Nature Agency.

How have the landowners contributed?
At the start of the project, 75 landowners were involved. As the project progressed and land was bought and sold, this number reduced to 59, of which 28 landowners took part in the land distribution.

The participating landowners signed voluntary agreements, whereby they provided land for the project in return for a one-off compensation payment and, in some cases, purchase of substitution land. The landowners contributed to the process by spending time on conversation and meetings, and by discussing solutions and ideas.