Özdemir wants to adapt the federal forest law

DTo ensure that the forests in Germany to be protected and preserved, the Federal Forest Act is to be amended. That mentioned Federal Minister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir (Greens) on Monday after consultations together with his nation colleagues. He was glad that there was broad settlement. “We’re modernizing the provisions, a few of that are over 40 years outdated,” mentioned the Inexperienced politician. This could create a Germany-wide normal for forest administration. The modifications would additionally have an effect on state legal guidelines, Özdemir mentioned.

As well as, extra companies for forest homeowners for local weather safety and biodiversity are to be launched. A mannequin was developed for this. The primary modules are to be carried out this yr. As one in every of the measures, Özdemir named decreased human intervention in forests, that are of notably excessive worth for biodiversity.

By the finish of the legislative interval, 900 million euros are to be made accessible for rewarding local weather safety and biodiversity companies. In accordance to Özdemir, the first module is to be outfitted with 200 million euros. “That is excellent news to give forest homeowners the assist they want for sustainable forest conversion,” mentioned Brandenburg’s Forest Minister Axel Vogel (Greens). Nonetheless, the nuances of the colleagues gave an concept that the amount of cash accessible led to extra intense discussions. In view of the injury, this quantity might be not what the forest homeowners had imagined, mentioned Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s Minister of Agriculture, Until Backhaus (SPD).

400,000 hectares of broken areas have been created since 2018

General, there was nice settlement at the ministerial convention, in accordance to numerous sources. In accordance to Özdemir, a complete of 400,000 hectares of broken areas have been created since 2018. “This injury to the forest clearly exhibits us how existential the local weather disaster could be for us,” mentioned the Federal Minister of Agriculture.

The forest homeowners welcomed the promised assist – albeit with restrictions. “In view of the local weather disaster, it’s a good sign for forest homeowners that the federal and state governments are specializing in the forest,” mentioned Andreas Bitter, President of the Working Group of German Forest House owners’ Associations. Nonetheless, time is of the essence. “The monetary assist for adapting the forest to local weather change should now attain the forest homeowners shortly.”

The convention of agriculture ministers additionally mentioned intensively the danger of forest fires and attainable preventive measures. In the drought, there are extra forest fires, mentioned Saxony-Anhalt’s forestry minister and the chairman of the convention of agriculture ministers, Sven Schulze (CDU). Solely final weekend there had been repeated fires in the Harz Mountains. You’ve to work collectively to determine and struggle forest fires throughout nations, mentioned Schulze. Inexperienced politician Axel Vogel added that the Convention of Agriculture Ministers had due to this fact requested the federal authorities to work with the states to launch a nationwide prevention technique to defend forests from fires.