Pre-recovered

The Preesterholt ( Low German for Priesterwald , cf.ndt . Preester , Danish præst , also Presterholt, Preesterholz, Priesterholz, Kirchenwald or Gintofter Wäldchen , Danish Gingtoftskov ) was a historic forest island in the municipality of Steinbergkirche in the Schleswig-Flensburg district , which opened in 2017 towards wide Protest from the population was cleared. The example became known nationwide as the removal of the forest is apparently associated with the planned construction of wind turbines .

geography

The Preesterholz was a piece of private forest , almost 2 hectares in size , that was located in the middle of a field. It consisted largely of old beeches, which were removed by the owner in the year before the clearing. T. younger trees, u. a. Alder trees that underline the value of the site as a wetland habitat. The waterlogged area had further components of typical moist soil vegetation . Due to its shape and location, it was a favor factor in the landscape according to § 8 BNatSchG . In the forest itself there were also foundlings and mossed archive floors , which indicate that the site was one of the few in Schleswig-Holstein that had never been plowed after the end of the cold periods .

History and deforestation

The Preesterholz was first documented in 1538 and was owned by the Evangelical Church until 1982 . It was exchanged for a Steinberg entrepreneur who cleared the forest in November 2017. An examination had previously shown that the construction of a wind farm in the area was not possible due to the forest . This was preceded by an official permit for deforestation, which the responsible forest authority with the participation of the Ministry of Environment in Kiel tried to withdraw after protests from the population and environmental associations. However, this failed. In the meantime, the owner had the forest scoured and is said to have removed all of the historical habitat trees from it. In a further examination, hardly any elements worthy of protection could accordingly be found. By order of the authorities, a few trees had to be left in a wet area at the edge of the forest. The forest is to be compensated for by reforestation that is three times as large. However, critics point to the long time it takes to restore grown forest sites to several hundred years and their ecological value is not comparable.

literature

• Stolz , C. & W. Riedel (2018): The death of a small forest. The unbelievable history of historical Preesterholt (Schleswig-Flensburg district) and lessons to be learned. - Nature conservation and landscape planning (Ulmer) 50 (2): 60–62.
• Struß , D. (2017): Lesson for dubious nature conservation practice. Forest crime in Ostangeln. - Subject: Nature 3/2017: 14-15.
• Flensburger Tageblatt from January 16, 2018, December 31, 2017, November 14, 2017. Flensburg: Schleswig-Holsteinischer Zeitungsverlag.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ [Struß, D. (2017): Lesson for doubtful nature conservation practice. Forest crime in Ostangeln. - Subject: Nature 3/2017: 14-15.]
2. ↑ [Flensburger Tageblatt of January 16, 2018, December 31, 2017, November 14, 2017. Flensburg: Schleswig-Holsteinischer Zeitungsverlag.]
3. ↑ [Stolz, C. & W. Riedel (2018): The death of a small forest. The unbelievable history of historical Preesterholt (Schleswig-Flensburg district) and lessons to be learned. - Nature conservation and landscape planning (Ulmer) 50 (2): 60-62.]
4. ↑ Stolz, C. & W. Riedel (2018): The death of a small forest. The unbelievable history of historical Preesterholt (Schleswig-Flensburg district) and lessons to be learned. - Nature conservation and landscape planning (Ulmer) 50 (2): 60-62.
5. ↑ [Struß, D. (2017): Lesson for doubtful nature conservation practice. Forest crime in Ostangeln. - Subject: Nature 3/2017: 14-15.]
6. ↑ [Flensburger Tageblatt of January 16, 2018, December 31, 2017, November 14, 2017. Flensburg: Schleswig-Holsteinischer Zeitungsverlag.]
7. ↑ [Struß, D. (2017): Lesson for doubtful nature conservation practice. Forest crime in Ostangeln. - Subject: Nature 3/2017: 14-15.]

Coordinates: 54 ° 46 ′ 15.4 "  N , 9 ° 46 ′ 31.1"  E