Farmers under pressure: Fertile land required for nature conservation project!

Farmers under pressure: Fertile land required for nature conservation project!

There is currently a lot of movement in small Luttum, in the Verden district. Employees from the land registry office and the state authority are on the way to check the property boundaries as part of a comprehensive nature conservation project. The project with the illustrious name “AllerVielfalt Verden” aims to further develop the river, floodplain and banks as a unit with the aim of environmental protection. As the District newspaper reported, as part of a simplified land consolidation, a new border of a whopping 37 kilometers will be necessary, which will affect around 200 property owners, primarily farmers.

The heart of the project is the voluntary transfer of land, usually through sale or exchange. Claus-Hermann Hoops, a member of the land consolidation community, emphasizes that sales to the public sector should be minimized, which worries many farmers. These areas are not only fertile, but also essential for agriculture. However, the project could also bring benefits, such as a better developed network of trails, the costs of which will be borne by the participating community. The area has a total size of approximately 1,125 hectares and the survey is expected to take a year.

Project background and objectives

The commitment of the Verden district, the waterway shipping administration and the NABU federal association is reflected in the planned measures for the project. These include the creation of floodplain waters, the establishment of waterfront strips and the development of typical floodplain biotopes. Another major goal is to create species-rich grassland and improve the habitats of the river Aller and its floodplains, according to the Niedersachsen.de.

Another focus is on supporting community development through the land consolidation process, which offers solutions to possible conflicts of use between nature conservation and agriculture. However, the affected farmers are often confronted with the challenge of giving up valuable cultivated land, which is not easy.

Government support and funding programs

To support such projects, the federal government provides 12.8 million euros annually to promote large-scale nature conservation projects in areas of national and international interest. This also includes the “chance.natur” program, which has been contributing to the development of habitats worth protecting in Germany since 1979. In total, funding for nature conservation projects in Germany currently exceeds 7,500 square kilometers Federal Agency for Nature Conservation informed.

In conclusion, it should be noted that while the Allerdiversity project goals are promising, implementation and cooperation with farmers still represent major challenges. Many hope that a good hand will be found in negotiating and implementing land consolidation so that both nature and agriculture can benefit from it.