Apply for the protection of a biotope
Service description
Protected biotopes are habitats for specific plant and animal species. These habitats deserve special protection, either because they are extremely rare, have high ecological value, or are under threat of destruction. Most of the biotopes found in our region have been created by human activity or are the result of specific forms of land use.
There are laws and international agreements in place to protect these habitats. The state of Saxony-Anhalt has laid down provisions for the special protection of biotopes in Section 37 of the Nature Conservation Act.
The mere existence of
a biotope is sufficient to warrant its special protection, regardless of its location. However, legal protection alone is not enough to ensure the conservation of biotopes; active measures are therefore required.Damage and destruction caused even through ignorance are unlawful, and the competent nature conservation authority may require the person responsible to restore the site to its original condition. If such damage is unavoidable for overriding reasons of public interest, it may, provided it can be mitigated or compensated for, be authorised by the nature conservation authority upon application, subject to conditions regarding mitigation or compensation.
Who should I contact?
Enquiries as to whether a biotope is subject to special protection can be made to the local nature conservation authority of the district or the independent city.
To ensure that these areas are managed in a way that is consistent with nature conservation, the land manager may apply for funding under nature conservation grant schemes from the relevant local nature conservation authority in the district or independent city.