around 1,800 landowners were required, under the agreement, to make their property available for military purposes. with over 1,600 hectares, the nature reserve society was one of the landowners affected and they refused to accept the soltau-lüneburg agreement from the outset, although their opposition came to nothing. another 1,600 hectares belonged to private landowners. in 1970, several landowners were allowed to return their estates to agricultural use. in the mid-1970s, the vnp unsuccessfully sued, citing the unconstitutionality of the agreement before the county court in lüneburg.