Ecological Account and Land Pool for Compensation Measures

The Westphalian Cultural Landscape Foundation offers an ecological account and a land pool for compensatory measures under nature conservation law in Westphalia-Lippe. The aim of this continuously available grant program is to provide and permanently secure compensation areas in order to properly offset impacts caused by construction and infrastructure projects and to sustainably strengthen the cultural landscape. Eligible for funding are private individuals, companies, and public institutions, in particular project sponsors (e.g., builders, municipalities, planning offices) and farmers who wish to use or permanently provide land for compensation. A prerequisite is the regional location in Westphalia-Lippe and activity within the framework of the nature conservation impact regulation. Evaluation is based on the suitability of the ecological account areas as well as the ecological compensation deficit.

Interested parties can submit applications and register land at any time, with planning and compensation security being the primary focus. The foundation supports the preparation of land registration forms and site plans as well as coordination with the responsible authorities. Long-term secured additional income and the possibility to keep land under agricultural use are among the benefits for farmers, while project sponsors benefit from time flexibility and reduced search costs. Ecologically meaningful measures can be implemented in a bundled manner so that habitats can develop even before the impact occurs. Further information and the required informational materials are continuously available on the foundation’s website.