The new municipal executive has defended the installation of three squirrel rope bridges near the Scheveningse Bosjes earlier this year. Political party Hart voor Den Haag had questioned the spending, calling it an incomprehensible expense of tens of thousands of euros.
Council member Coen Bom pointed to an earlier, costly squirrel bridge built over the N44 in 2012, which drew substantial criticism. According to Bom, records showed that the older bridge had been used by a squirrel only once a year over the past three years.
Protecting coastal squirrel populations
In response, the city executive stated that squirrels in Zuid-Holland are largely confined to forests and country estates along the coastal zone. Because of this, The Hague carries an above-average responsibility for preserving the regional population.
Since 2018, the municipality has tracked nests across the Haagse Bos, the Clingendael and Oosterbeek estates, and surrounding green spaces. Monitoring showed that local squirrel groups are quite small, with inbreeding and road traffic cited as likely risks.
Connecting these habitats safely is necessary to protect the species over the long term, the city noted.
Costs and monitoring decisions
The city installed three rope crossings in total, with one suspended over Scheveningseweg and two over Teldersweg. Purchasing and installing the bridges via an external company cost more than 27,000 euros, alongside 8,000 euros for traffic measures and 3,200 euros for safety and work plans.
The executive rejected the suggestion from Hart voor Den Haag to invest in fauna crossings only after establishing strict proof of need and ongoing evaluation. Officials stated that rope bridges have already proven effective across the country, making regular tracking unnecessary.
Active monitoring would also be costly, requiring a tree climber to place and retrieve cameras multiple times each year. In an unusual detail, the formal letter replying to the council was signed by Hart voor Den Haag party leader Richard de Mos in his role as acting mayor.
