Gravel gardens will be banned in Hesse in the future. "Gravel is not a habitat, neither for plants nor for animals," said Environment Minister Priska Hinz (Greens). The ban is part of the amendment to the Hessian Nature Conservation Act, which was passed by the state parliament in Wiesbaden on Thursday with the black-green majority. The new regulation does not apply to existing gravel gardens. The amendment to the law is expected to come into force in the coming weeks.
With stricter requirements for outdoor lighting, the law is now intended to better protect nocturnal insects. According to the Ministry of the Environment, Hesse is "the first federal state to enshrine the protection of the night as a goal of its nature conservation in law".
The law also creates improved conditions for habitats that are particularly affected by the consequences of the climate crisis, such as heat and droughts, and at the same time fulfil an important climate protection function as carbon sinks: "Peatlands will be better protected, floodplains will be rewetted and the creation of natural forests as a CO2 sink on currently ten percent of the state forest area will be enshrined in law."
Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union lacks measurable targets
What is new and unique in Germany is the possibility of creating funding areas for species protection. Minister Hinz explained: "This will enable us to join forces for endangered species outside of traditional protected areas." This is intended to benefit species such as the European hamster, which lives in fields.
The FDP opposition had previously criticized that the law was directed against those farmers, foresters and land owners who had been committed to nature and species protection. The opposition Left Party faction emphasized that nature conservation could not be a repair shop for failed transport, energy and industrial policies. The AfD opposition had described the law as superfluous.
According to the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (Nabu), on the other hand, many innovations will "advance the protection of flora and fauna". However, the formulation of more measurable goals would be necessary, such as "the mandatory designation of wilderness areas on two percent of the country's area and of natural forests on five percent of the forest area".
Criticism from the Hessian Forest Owners' Association
The Hessian Forest Owners' Association criticised the amendment for neglecting the interests of farmers and forest owners in rural areas. It is part of a series of measures adopted for far-reaching restrictions on use in forests and meadows.
The Climate List of Hesse also judged: "Especially for the population in rural regions, the new law brings blanket restrictions for the sustainable management of forests, meadows and fields."
Simplifying the expansion of mobile communications
On Thursday evening, the Hessian state parliament also decided to ease the expansion of mobile communications in some regions in the fight against poor mobile phone reception. "We expect the simplifications in the approval area in particular to provide a noticeable boost for further expansion and at the same time make things easier for our administrations," said Green Party MP Torsten Leveringhaus in Wiesbaden on Thursday evening with a view to the new law to accelerate the expansion of mobile communications. This was passed with a black-green majority.
CDU parliamentarian Hartmut Honka emphasized that work should continue together with the network operators to close the last dead spots in Hesse and to increase network quality. With the new law, there should be simplifications – such as the "reduction of distance areas of antenna systems in outdoor areas or the abolition of cultivation bans along district and state roads".
Bijan Kaffenberger of the SPD opposition criticized: "The CDU and the Greens insist for no reason on a permit-free mobile phone mast height of 15 meters in contrast to the 20 meters we demand." Higher masts can improve cell phone reception, but in the eyes of critics, they can also spoil the landscape more.