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The primary aim of the project
was to build the capacity of the CEEweb network through a
twinning program between Ecological
Tourism in Europe and CEEweb. For fulfilling this aim
a field trip to
National Park Eifel was organised.
The Eiffel National park is the first National park in the
state Nordrhein-Westfalen and the 14th in Germany. The park
opened just the beginning of this year (01.01.2004) after
only 2 years of preparation. As part of the opening celebrations,
a ribbon of collected present wrapping ribbons was knitted
and put around the park borders. The Minister of Environment
of the State Nodrhein-Westfalen, Bärbel Höhn, connected the
two ends and gave this “present” in a symbolic act to the
community.
The park is about 11.000 ha (110 km2) big, composed of four
areas: Hetzinger Wald (Hetzing forest), Kermeter, military
area “Vogelsang” and Dedenborner Forst (Dedenborn forest).
The National park is located inside the Nature park “Hohes
Venn-Eifel”, mainly within the “Rureifel”-part and the western
“Hocheifel”, which belong to the German low mountain range.
River dams have been built for the Urft and the Rur and
the resulting storage reservoirs represent important destinations
for tourists and day-trippers.
80% of the park area consists of forest. Over 240 threatened
varieties of plants and animals (wildcat, beaver, king-fisher)
live in this region and have now found a protected habitat.
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30 % of the parks’ surface have not been opened up
for the visitors yet. An area called “Vogelsang” is
still used by Belgian military forces who have been
stationed here during the last 50 years. Vogelsang is
composed of a military training area and about 45 buildings.
At the end of 2005, they plan to leave their base,
and by 2006 the area would be totally integrated in
the national park. Until then this is a prohibited area:
Visitors do have the permission to access only at the
weekends. But because of the solemnly military use,
Vogelsang could develop almost totally naturally (without
strong human influences) during the last 50 years.
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Zone 1: Nature protection without management, according to
the criteria of the World Conservation Union – IUCN
- At least 75 % of the total area; this percentage has
to be achieved at the latest 30 years after the beginning
of the decree
- Zone 1 A: without management
- Zone 1 A: without management; actually without forest
- Zone 1 B: after short-/ medium-term strategies without
management
- Zone 1 C: after long-term strategies without management
Zone 2: Nature protection with management, according to the
criteria of the IUCN
- Strategies for important flora and fauna biospheres and
cultural objects of historical value
- Zone 2 A: with management
- Zone 2 B: nature protecting aims and strategies are fixed
by the plan of the national park
- Area of the Vogelsang
The administration of the national park has been given to
the forestry office of Schleiden-Gemünd.
Tasks:
- work out a plan of the park and of its pathes
- work out an annual management plan
- Nature protecting strategies
- Co-ordination of research projects
- Public relations
- Co-ordinationg the flow of visitors
Philosophy of the administration:
- Transparency
- Participation in all levels of planning etc.
- Working together with different groups of interests in
the region
- Flow of information beteween the citizens and the park´s
administration
- Representatives working in the administration for the
time being: forestry scientists, forest ecologists, foresters
and geographers
- Working together with: biologists, educationalist, architects,
designers etc.
Supported by PHARE Multi-Country Programme
"Environment and Enlargement"
This program is implemented with the financial
assistance of the European Union. The contents of this document
are the sole responsibility of CEEweb, and can under no circumstances
be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union.
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