With their signatures, German Environmental Minister Peter Altmaier, Federal Office of Real Estate Management (Bundesanstalt für Immobilienaufgaben,BImA) Board member Axel Kunze, and German Federal Environmental Foundation (Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt, DBU) Board of Trustees Chairperson Hubert Weinzierl sealed an agreement to gratuitously transfer a further 16,000 hectares of valuable protected natural areas from Federal supervision to that of the DBU.
With a total of 62,000 hectares in 49 individual areas, the DBU thus holds around half of the entire 125,000 hectares of the “National Natural Inheritance” which the federal government wants, in the long term, to secure in two stages as protected natural spaces rather than allowing them to be sacrificed to private or business interests. With the signing of the frame agreement for the acceptance of an additional 16,000 hectares of natural inheritance spaces by the DBU, the unwavering efforts of all persons involved in the project are being recognized, as Altmaier emphasized.
He added: “The efforts have paid off. The National Natural Inheritance will be preserved for future generations.” Since assuming responsibility for the first portion five years ago, the DBU has enjoyed many successes, as DBU General Secretary Dr.-Ing. E.h. Fritz Brickwedde pointed out in his remarks.
