The “Landscape Conservation Association (LPV) Weilheim-Schongau is a successful model,” it was said at the most recent annual meeting of the association founded in 2019. Since then, 128 nature conservation projects have been implemented in the region. But the number of hits should be increased even further.
District
- “It is a special meeting,” explained district administrator and LPV chairwoman Andrea Jochner-Weiß when welcoming the annual meeting in the “Zur Post” inn in Peißenberg. The landscape conservation association is at least celebrating a small anniversary. Five years ago, Jochner-Weiß says in retrospect, people were still wondering whether they should really set up an LPV in the district. It has now been clear for a long time: The LPV as a voluntary and equal association of farmers, conservationists and municipalities is “doing wonderfully”: “The initial phase is over. The LPV has established itself,” emphasized the district administrator – and: “The LPV is a successful model.”
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According to the association's homepage, the aim of the LPV is "the preservation and development of the distinctive character of the landscape and biological diversity in the Weilheim-Schongau district". The LPV is the sponsor and manager of landscape management measures. It supports municipalities in designating compensation areas (keyword: eco-account), it acquires subsidies and commissions farmers to implement measures.
Balancing nature conservation and management
The maxim: “It’s all voluntary. We don't want any constraints. It should be a collaboration,” explained LPV managing director Christian Haupt in his annual report. This means: The sometimes diverging interests between nature conservation and management are brought into harmony under the umbrella of the LPV.
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To date, the focus of the association's work has been on the care of scattered and poor meadows as well as extensive pasture areas. Haupt, whom the district administrator described as a “stroke of luck”, showed the around 30 meeting participants many photos – “because pictures say more than 1000 words”. 128 projects spread across the entire district have already been launched. “We are an implementation association,” explained Haupt proudly. And the number of projects should grow continuously: “We are increasing from year to year.” This year alone there are 50 measures on the list. According to Haupt, the focus will not change much: “Perhaps one or two bodies of water will be added.”
Food plants for butterflies
Haupt, who is supported in the office by three employees (“We have a super team with different know-how”), reported, among other things, on a raised moor renaturation near Penzberg, on hay meadows near Raisting and on the restoration of a lean grassland area near Eberfing . For the latter project, the LPV received a management permit from the owner.
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A contracted farmer now mows the area according to the LPV's specifications. Forage plants that are important for rare butterflies, such as horseshoe or anthyllis, have come under pressure because the area has been left fallow for a long time. As Haupt explained, the LPV projects are actually always about preserving “Red List species”. But the creation of habitats for “everyday species” is also important.
Drainage dismantling near Rottenbuch
Another project example that was presented at the meeting was the dismantling of drainage on an area near Schönberg in the Rottenbuch municipality. The LPV supported the municipality in designating it as an eco-account area - including by drawing up a maintenance contract with the future manager and providing technical support in the expansion of the drainage pipes. The goal: The meadow should become richer in species by avoiding manure, artificial fertilizers and herbicides and by cutting less grass and should once again be a habitat for the plant and insect species that were originally there and are tied to wet areas.
The local newspapers in the Weilheim-Schongau district are represented on Instagram under “merkur_wm_sog”.
It was also discussed at the meeting that not all municipalities in the district are members of the LPV. According to Haupt, they will soon come back to Pähl and “try it out”. Unfortunately Schwabbruck canceled. The municipality of Sindelsdorf would also be happy to be involved. “We would have a focus area there,” said the LPV managing director. The advantages of membership are obvious with low club fees: “We can do a lot with little money,” says Haupt.