The title of the narrative is "Frankenstein." - Millions will be utilized for conserving biodiversity in the Palatinate Forest.
A massive nature preservation initiative in the Palatinate Forest is geared towards promoting animal species preservation and benefiting sheep farmers. The mission is to back sheep farming and safeguard areas that have undergone change for centuries due to grazing animals and their shepherds, mentioned Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) during a press conference on Friday in Frankenstein, Kaiserslautern district. Sheep are practically "nature's architects" and create something no manual labor can achieve: "a patchwork of varied habitats for plants and creatures." Particularly, sheep are crucial in their function as "seed banks" to ensure a thriving ecosystem.
Rhineland-Palatinate's Environment Minister, Katrin Eder (Greens), added that approximately 90% of all insect species rely on open sceneries, such as meadows. If sheep farming decreases, cultural landscapes and critical habitats decline, and the landscape will become overrun.
The project's intention is to help sheep farmers through various support measures. This includes restoring old shepherd's paths, introducing new grazing areas, clearing fields of vegetation, maintaining meadows with fruit trees, and constructing dry walls. The infrastructure for grazing will also receive necessary investments.
The federal government, the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, and the district of Rhineland-Palatinate will financially support the initiative, which will run until 2033, with a total of 11.5 million euros. Berlin's funding accounts for more than eight million euros. The project area encompasses approximately 8,300 hectares as per the Ministry in Mainz.
Additional details about the project are available on the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation's website: https://www.bafg.de/DE/Themen/Landschaftsplanung/Projekte/Neue-Hirtenwege-im-Pfaelzerwald/Neue-Hirtenwege-im-Pfaelzerwald.html
