Meadow instead of pig fattening facility: Agency renatures areas and sells eco-points

Dilapidated pig farms or abandoned vineyards: In Saxony, many such ruins are being demolished, unsealed and naturally upgraded.

Dieter Ruf, deputy head of Saxony's central land management agency, explains that the state-owned company converts these measures into so-called eco-points. These can be purchased by developers for planned projects – after all, compensatory measures are mandatory for construction projects that involve interference with nature.

The state-owned agency has so far naturally enhanced approximately 220 hectares of land. This has included unsealing areas, planting trees, creating biotopes, restoring water bodies, and creating new habitats for animals. According to Ruf, these measures currently generate more than 4.3 million eco-points, which developers can acquire to meet the requirements of the nature conservation authority.

"These measures are very well received by the public because they usually remove long-standing eyesores," Ruf said. For example, an old, dilapidated pig fattening facility in the Zwickau district was demolished and desealed. Where previously stood approximately 2.2 hectares of collapsed barns, a meadow now flourishes. An automobile company had acquired these eco-points for a new building.

Among other things, demolition work is currently underway on the site of a former vineyard nursery in Dresden. The boiler house, shelters, garages, and the remains of the greenhouses are being demolished, and all paved areas are being unsealed. The area will then be developed into a meadow, which will be managed by a farm in a nature-conservation-friendly manner. The planning and construction costs are approximately €550,000.

Approximately two-thirds of the upgraded areas are used for government-owned projects such as road construction, flood protection measures, or new government buildings. The requirements are stricter if, for example, protected animal species are affected—in this case, an equivalent habitat must be created for these animals elsewhere, Ruf explains.

However, those who want to build a conventional single-family home usually don't have to worry about compensation. In such cases, the requirements are already specified in the development plan.

© dpa-infocom, dpa:250419-930-451202/1