Life+ - The Project
The European Importance of the Lippe Floodplains in the East of the Municipality of Hamm
There is an ecologically most interesting area in the region of the eastern floodplain of the Lippe extending from the Municipality of Hamm to the districts of Warendorf and Soest, where you can find very rare species of animals and plants. Therefore, it is of major importance and especially worth to take preserving measures in this FFH area named “Lippe Floodplains between Hangfort and Hamm“. Furthermore, it is part of the European protection area network „Natura 2000“, created by the EU State Members. This program comprises both FFH areas as well as bird protection areas. Habitats, plants and animals of European importance which are verified in the floodplains of the Lippe and underlie special protection measures on the basis of legal rights according to the FFH Directive as well as to the Bird Protection Directive.
As a fundraising instrument of the General Environmental Management of the European Commission, coordinate and cross-border region actions for announced areas of Natura 2000 are guaranteed by LIFE+ Nature. LIFE+ stands for L’Instrument Financier pour l’Environment: Promouvoir L’Union Soutenable which is a finance program designed for the environment to support a sustainable community. The project “LIFE+ Lippeaue” is financed by 50 per cent by LIFE+ Nature. Furthermore, LIFE+ in the Lippe floodplains is a project of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Its Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Agriculture, Nature Conservation and Consumer Protection contributes 40 per cent of the financial means needed for the successful accomplishment of the project. The remaining 10 per cent of the project costs are borne by the applicant and its project partners – the Municipality of Hamm, the Lippeverband and the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Biologischer Umweltschutz in the district of Soest e. V. as well as the relevant authorities of the district of Warendorf. All in all, the budget of the project amounts to more than 6 million euro.
