Cycle route linking Mönsheim and Heimsheim
The municipality of Mönsheim is gearing up for the construction of a new cycling path between Mönsheim and Golf Club Solitude, scheduled to begin in October and set to be completed by July 2026. This project, however, comes with impacts on nature, soil, and biotopes, amounting to around 72,000 ecopoints under the nature conservation law.
To offset these environmental impacts, a landscape conservation accompanying plan has been decided upon by the town council. This plan aims to restore and enhance natural habitats in the project area, ensuring a net environmental benefit.
The detailed plan involves creating specific compensation areas that exceed the ecological value of the land impacted by the cycling path. Key elements of this plan include habitat restoration, creation of new natural spaces, water management improvements, avoidance of sensitive areas, and long-term monitoring and maintenance.
Habitat restoration efforts will focus on replanting native vegetation, creating wildflower meadows, and restoring nearby degraded habitats to improve biodiversity. New green corridors or wildlife-friendly zones may be established alongside or near the cycling path to provide safe habitats and migration routes for local fauna. Measures might also be implemented to protect or improve local water bodies, such as installing natural rainwater drainage systems that support amphibians and aquatic organisms.
To minimize disturbance to particularly sensitive flora and fauna or protected sites, the route and construction work are planned with care. Continuous observation and upkeep of compensation areas ensure that conservation goals are met over time.
The construction project, estimated at 1.2 million euros, will be funded by the state. The tender for the cycling path construction will be issued by the municipality of Mönsheim. In addition, 54 new trees are planned for Mönsheim, along with soil de-sealing and field hedge planting.
Council member Markus Rösler has suggested checking that the roots of new trees do not damage the cycling path in the future. Margit Stähle, another council member, has suggested that on municipal land, new plantings could be shifted a bit away from the cycling path to avoid potential damage.
It is worth noting that the lower nature conservation authority does not support the deduction of the complete 72,000 points. The remaining deficit of around 30,000 ecopoints will be deducted from the existing account.
The connecting stretch between the exit of Mönsheim on the Leonberger Straße and the golf course entrance is currently missing. To address this, a cycling path from Mönsheim towards Heimsheim is being constructed along the state road L1134.
The affairs in the town hall of Mönsheim are being led by two honorary mayors. The council will decide on the award to the lowest bidder at the end of September.
For more detailed information on exact locations, species involved, or the official environmental compensation report, please contact the local planning authority or project developer.
- To ensure the cycling path construction doesn't only cause damage to the environment but also contributes positively, a landscape conservation accompanying plan has been implemented, which includes habitat restoration, creation of new natural spaces, improvement of water management, and long-term monitoring and maintenance.
- In an effort to maintain biodiversity, habitat restoration efforts will involve replanting native vegetation, creating wildflower meadows, and restoring degraded habitats, while new green corridors or wildlife-friendly zones may be established near the cycling path for the benefit of local fauna.
