The floodplain of the River Lippe (“Lippeaue”) is of European significance

The area around the eastern Lippe floodplain from Hamm across the district of Warendorf to the district of Soest is an area of high ecological value certainly worth protecting. The Lippe and its floodplain feature a mosaic of different biotopes made of meandering bows, settled flow areas with spatterdocks, oxbow lakes, ponds, little becks, reedbeds and grassland.The Lippe floodplain between Hangfort and Hamm is therefore specially protected as a Fauna-Flora-Habitat-Area (FFH area). It is part of the centrepiece of EU nature & biodiversity policy “Natura 2000” which includes FFH areas and bird reserves.It is comprised of important EU-wide habitats, plants and animals designated by Member States under the FFH Directive and the Birds Directive.The project served and maintained protection and improvement of biotopes according to Annex I of the FFH Directive. Several measures will help to stabilise the populations and the habitats of highly endangered animal and plant species. This will only succeed if we treat this as a mutual endeavour, disregarding borders and boundaries.

A coordinated comprehensive activity across all borders for the Natura 2000-areas will be guaranteed by the LIFE-Nature supporting instruments of the European Commission, the Directorate-General of Environment. LIFE means “L’Instrument Financier de l’Environment” (the Environment Financing  Instrument). The LIFE-Projekt Lippeaue, which aimed for sustainable protection and improvement of the natural biotopes and stabilisation of the populations of wild animals and plant species in the FFH area was funded to 50 % (2,75 Mio. €) by LIFE-Nature.Furthermore the Lippeaue is of great importance to North Rhine-Westphalia. Therefore the Ministerum für Umwelt und Naturschutz, Landwirtschaft und Verbraucherschutz  (Ministry for the Environment and Conservation, Agriculture and Consumer Protection of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia) joined in with 40 % of the required funds (2,2 Mio. €).The local government of the City of Hamm, the Lippeverband, the district of Warendorf and the Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Biologischen Umweltschutz im Kreis Soest e. V. (a local NGO)  conducted the project as partners. They contributed 10 % (0,55 Mio. €) to the project which was started on the 8th  January 2005 and ended on the 31st July 2010.