Boosting Funding for Environmental Conservation Projects in Brandenburg
Good news for nature lovers in Brandenburg's rural districts! The Council of the Nature Conservation Fund Foundation has approved more than 2.6 million euros for a range of conservation projects. This includes seven major projects across five districts, announced by the Ministry of the Environment last week.
The foundation has already allocated around 13 million euros for conservation initiatives in Brandenburg this year, surpassing its previous record. Some of the projects receiving support include:
- Wusterhausen (Ostprignitz-Ruppin): Over a million euros have been granted for planting hedges and trees, enabling planting of eight kilometers of hedges and two wooded islands. These initiatives create habitats and protect wildlife while also serving as windbreaks.
- Hohengörsdorf (Teltow-Fläming) and Reichenow-Möglin (district of Märkisch-Oderland): The foundation is investing in rejuvenating habitats for endangered amphibian species, including the moor frog, by renovating silted-up bodies of water.
The total funding of 7.7 million euros comes from compensation payments for those responsible for interventions in nature, which the state will pass on to conservation in 2023. This money is then used to finance projects in the affected districts and natural areas.
Holger Rößling, the foundation's managing director, noted that more stakeholders are expressing interest in promoting urgent nature conservation measures in the state. Since 1995, the foundation has been managing compensation payments in Brandenburg, sponsoring over 1,100 conservation projects alongside districts, municipalities, associations, clubs, and other partners.
Municipalities in Brandenburg will contribute to preserving diverse wildlife, such as amphibians and insects, with this increased support. Initiatives like planting hedges and trees in Wusterhausen, Ostprignitz-Ruppin, will help create habitats and protect species, while projects focusing on rejuvenating habitats for endangered amphibian species will further enhance biodiversity in districts like Teltow-Fläming and Märkisch-Oderland.
Despite absence of an explicit mention, the region's conservation efforts benefit from several European and state-level funding initiatives, such as:
- EU Funding: The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), Lower Saxony, and state-level initiatives have supported projects like the "Lower Havel lowlands" and "Cooperative floodplain management in the 'Niedersächsische Elbtalaue' biosphere reserve."
- State Funding: Projects like "Lenzen dyke relocation" and "Middle Elbe" have been funded by the states of Saxony-Anhalt and Brandenburg.
- Collaborations: Partnerships with organizations like the BUND (Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz e.V.) and Biosphere Reserve Administration Flusslandschaft Elbe-Brandenburg have played a significant role in funding and implementing conservation initiatives.
These projects emphasize the collaborative, state-funded framework for nature conservation efforts in the region, albeit not directly attributed to a specific "Nature Conservation Fund Foundation" in Brandenburg.
