Landscape Conservation Areas; Designation

In addition to flora and fauna, important resources to be protected include, for example, soil, groundwater, surface water, the climate, and the landscape. An area may also be designated as a landscape conservation area due to its special significance for recreation. Similarly, areas where nature-compatible human use is to be preserved or reintroduced may be placed under landscape protection. Compared to nature reserves, the focus is on the protection of abiotic resources.

As self-governing bodies, the counties and independent cities are responsible for designating landscape conservation areas by statutory ordinance. If the landscape conservation area extends beyond the boundaries of a county or an independent municipality, the district is responsible for enacting the conservation area ordinance.

Protected areas may be divided into zones with correspondingly graded levels of protection. Where necessary, their surrounding areas may also be protected.

Regional Supplement (Editorial Responsibility: City of Erlangen)

In Erlangen, approximately 45 percent of the city’s territory is designated as protected landscape areas. These protected areas include all major forests and valley regions.

Erlangen has two protected landscape features: the Holzweg in Büchenbach and the so-called “Riviera” between Ebrardstraße and the Schwabachgrund. Both landscape features have sandy soils and, among other things, offer optimal conditions for the sand pink, which has become very rare. To ensure the long-term preservation of these sites’ characteristics, specific provisions are included in the relevant legal ordinances; these can be found in the ordinances (see “Further Links”).

The state government is responsible for issuing regulations concerning national parks. Regulations concerning nature reserves are issued by the higher nature conservation authority within the government (see “Related Topics”).

The district administrative authorities (district offices and municipalities independent of a district) serve as lower-level nature conservation authorities and are responsible for issuing regulations concerning natural monuments, as well as regulations concerning protected landscape features up to a maximum size of 10 hectares. The higher nature conservation authorities are responsible for protected landscape features larger than 10 hectares (see “Related Topics”).

Regional Supplement (Editorial Responsibility: City of Erlangen)Many activities within the landscape conservation area require a permit. These activities are listed in the Landscape Conservation Ordinance. Questions regarding landscape conservation and permit applications may be sent informally by email to the City of Erlangen’s Environmental Office. You can also find the areas covered by the Landscape Conservation Ordinance on the landscape conservation area map or in the Bavaria Atlas.