Development concept for the Offenbach city forest

At its most recent meeting on Wednesday, October 22, the municipal council approved the development concept for Offenbach's municipal forest. The proposal was submitted jointly by the Office for Economic Development and Real Estate and the Office for Environment and Climate. Subject to approval by the city councillors, the concept is to form the basis for sustainable and climate-adapted forest management in future.

The ecological and forestry development concept offers extensive opportunities for improving the condition of the forest over the coming decades and has been coordinated and developed in many working sessions between the aforementioned offices, the PGNU company and the Langen forestry office. The forest development concept, for which the entire municipal forest was mapped, aims to preserve and strengthen the forest in the long term and to develop it in a climate-resilient manner.

"With the new development concept, we are creating the basis for strengthening the forest in the long term and harmonizing its various functions. It combines nature conservation, recreation and sustainable management in a sustainable way," says Groß.

The mayor emphasized: "I would like to thank everyone involved for their dedicated cooperation. It is particularly important to me that the city forest remains a place of local recreation for the people of Offenbach. At the same time, we are protecting the most valuable areas and creating new habitats for plants and animals."

Lord Mayor Dr. Felix Schwenke, Head of the Department for Economic Development and Real Estate, also underlines the importance of the concept: "The development concept helps us to bring together two important aspects for our city: Development of housing and jobs on the one hand and a forest for recreation and climate protection on the other. This is achieved through the implementation of conservation measures that both benefit the forest and generate eco-points. In this way, we are ensuring the preservation of the forest and creating the conditions for sustainable urban development.

Among other things, the concept provides for the designation of process protection areas. These are areas without direct human influence - where the forest can develop in a near-natural way. These areas will be established in stages over the coming years. Another focus is the protection of habitat trees, i.e. old trees that serve as habitats and breeding grounds for many species, as well as the creation of stepped forest edges that promote biodiversity and at the same time increase road safety.

In addition, measures are to be implemented to increase water retention and promote groundwater recharge. These and other enhancements will enable the city to generate eco-points in future, which can be used for its own climate protection and urban development projects or in exchange with investors. Ecopoints represent a value in nature conservation law and can be acquired by enhancing nature and used for compensation elsewhere.