Minister Priska Hinz visits landscape conservation projects in the district
From Waldeck to the Eder valley, the Waldeck-Frankenberg Landscape Conservation Association, together with partners, is creating a biotope network of rough grasslands to protect climate-sensitive bird species such as the Great Grey Shrike, the Roman snail or insects such as the Common Antshrike. Environment Minister Priska Hinz visited part of the project, the "Wachenhube" area near Waldeck, as part of her summer tour.
"We protect biodiversity and with it our lives and our future. That is why we support the preservation and maintenance of species-rich habitats such as the rough grasslands. With great commitment, the Landschaftspflegeverband (LPV) has de-bushed and mown rough grassland sites, established goat grazing and obtained seeds of the endangered cross gentian. The tender plants are now being raised in the Marburg Botanical Garden. In 2023, they will be planted out in the field by the LPV," said the Minister.
A nature conservation project for the whole region
The Kellerwald-Edersee National Park, also a cooperation partner in the network project, has purchased neighbouring areas on the "Wachenhube" to expand the network and is developing other important rough grasslands in the region on the Kleiner and Großer Mehlberg with funds from the national park's maintenance budget. Other important partners are the Kassel Regional Council, the town of Waldeck, the goat farmer Wagener, the farmer of the Schwalenstöcker domain and Rohde-Landschaftspflege.
"Since 2017, the Waldeck-Frankenberg district has also supported the valuable work of the landscape conservation association as a building block of a regional nature conservation strategy," says Friedrich Schäfer, district councillor of the Waldeck-Frankenberg district. He is convinced that the office in the district administration, in conjunction with the environmental and agricultural departments, fulfils an important function for nature conservationists, farmers and also for the municipalities. "In this way, voluntary nature conservation projects can be supported, agriculture can be involved in landscape conservation and the municipalities can be advised in nature conservation matters in the best possible way."
"Hessen is supporting the rough grassland network project from 2020 to 2022 with up to 35,500 euros from funds of the Hessian Climate Protection Plan," says Hinz. "Following the maintenance measures, further steps will focus on how the sites can be preserved despite the climate crisis and on developing an appropriate maintenance and management concept."