Citizens' decision in Kleve: National Park or no - your voice counts!

Citizens' decision in Kleve: National Park or no - your voice counts!

Kleve, Deutschland - kleve (dpa)-A crucial moment for nature in North Rhine-Westphalia is imminent! In the district of Kleve, the citizens' decision on the creation of a second national park will soon begin. 265,000 citizens receive their postal voting documents and can vote until mid -December whether they are for or against the National Park in the Klever Reichswald. A clear no could finally bury the ambitious project, which is primarily promoted by the Greens,!

Why a new national park?

The only national park in NRW, the Eifel, is not enough, said Environment Minister Oliver Krischer (Greens). Almost every second animal, mushroom and plant species in the country is at risk. A new national park should protect and promote biodiversity. The Klever Reichswald, with 51 square kilometers the largest coherent forest area on the Lower Rhine, could become the new hotspot for nature conservation. But the enthusiasm on site is mixed - many citizens are skeptical, and the CDU and the FDP have spoken out against similar projects in the past.

The opponents of the national park warn of economic restrictions. No wind turbines are allowed to be built in the national park, and forestry could be severely restricted. Critics fear that the water supply from the Reichswald could be at risk. Minister Krischer calms down: "A supply of the best National Park drinking water is ensured." He also emphasizes that tourism and new jobs could be funded by the national park.

The Klever district council has already voted against the national park with a majority, but 17,000 signatures for a citizens' request have forced the decision. In order to approve the national park, the supporters have to overcome two hurdles: the majority of the votes must be for the national park, and at least 15 percent of those entitled to vote must participate. If the citizens agree, Kleve could soon be selected as a location for the second national park in NRW. However, a no would be finally buried and could draw attention to alternative nature conservation measures.