German Association for Landscape Management

The Deutscher Verband für Landschaftspflege (DVL) — the German Association for Landscape Management — is the non-profit umbrella organisation (Dachverband) of Germany's landscape management organisations, including Landschaftspflegeverbände, Landschaftserhaltungsverbände, biological stations and comparable associations. It was founded on 4 June 1993 in Berlin and is registered as a non-profit association (eingetragener und gemeinnütziger Verein). Its federal office (Bundesgeschäftsstelle) is located in Ansbach in Middle Franconia, supported by state offices and coordination units in the German federal states. The DVL's defining characteristic is its "third-parity" (Drittelparität) structure: its board is composed equally of representatives from politics, agriculture and nature conservation, a principle symbolised in its logo by three stylised trees. This equal and voluntary alliance of agriculture and forestry, nature conservation and municipalities is described by the DVL as the hallmark of the association and its members. The association sees its mission as bringing together land and forestry, nature conservation and politics to preserve Germany's cultural landscapes, creating biodiversity and quality of life in a contemporary and sustainable way. The DVL represents the interests of its member organisations at national and European level, promotes the exchange of experience across European, federal, state and regional levels, carries out model projects on current questions in agriculture and nature conservation — often in cooperation with local landscape management organisations — and supports initiatives founding new landscape management organisations. Its work is anchored in the Federal Nature Conservation Act (Bundesnaturschutzgesetz, BNatSchG §3 IV), which calls on authorities to entrust landscape management and design measures where possible to associations in which municipalities, farmers and nature conservation organisations are equally represented. Around 200 landscape management organisations work Germany-wide with more than 12,000 agricultural holdings, 4,000 municipalities and 2,000 associations. The DVL's thematic fields include agricultural and regional policy (development of the Common Agricultural Policy, state nature conservation funding programmes, EU structural funds, the joint federal-state task for agricultural structure and coastal protection, and the EU LIFE programme), landscape management itself (nature conservation advice to agriculture, management and restoration measures in Natura 2000 areas, preservation and creation of landscape elements and orchards, support for shepherds and extensive cattle keepers, and management of compensation measures), biodiversity conservation (protection of field and meadow birds such as skylark and partridge, biotope networks, insect protection, rare arable wild herbs and regionally native seed), extensive grazing, and energy and climate protection. The DVL is institutionally supported in part by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) and is a member of numerous bodies at federal and state level, including the German Nature Conservation Ring (Deutscher Naturschutzring, DNR) and the Europe-wide Landcare Europe network. Its chair is Maria Noichl, Member of the European Parliament; her deputies are Ute Grothey and Gerhard Bronner. The honorary chairmen are the two founding chairmen, Josef Göppel and Florian Meusel.

The Deutscher Verband für Landschaftspflege (DVL) was founded on 4 June 1993 in Berlin as the umbrella organisation of German landscape management organisations. Its founding chairmen were Josef Göppel and Florian Meusel, who are today honorary chairmen of the association. The DVL was established as a registered non-profit association (eingetragener und gemeinnütziger Verein) and has its federal office in Ansbach in Middle Franconia, with state offices and coordination units supporting the federal office in the German federal states. From its foundation, the DVL was built on the principle of third-parity (Drittelparität): its board is composed equally of representatives from politics, agriculture and nature conservation. This structure reflects the legal framework of the Federal Nature Conservation Act (Bundesnaturschutzgesetz, BNatSchG §3 IV), which provides that authorities should where possible entrust landscape management and design measures to associations in which municipalities, farmers and nature conservation organisations are equally represented — the so-called Landschaftspflegeverbände. The DVL's logo, with three stylised trees, expresses this equal partnership. Over the decades, the DVL grew into a network encompassing around 200 landscape management organisations working Germany-wide with more than 12,000 agricultural holdings, 4,000 municipalities and 2,000 associations. It became active in agricultural and regional policy, working on the further development of the Common European Agricultural Policy (GAP), state nature conservation funding programmes, the European structural funds (EFRE, ESF), the joint federal-state task for the improvement of agricultural structure and coastal protection (GAK), and the EU LIFE programme for the implementation of Natura 2000. It also developed innovative approaches such as the Gemeinwohlprämie (public good premium) and cross-farm agri-nature conservation (überbetrieblicher Agrarnaturschutz). In the field of landscape management, the DVL's activities came to include nature conservation advice in agriculture, implementation of maintenance and restoration measures in Natura 2000 areas and other conservation settings, preservation and creation of landscape elements and orchards, support for shepherds and extensive cattle keepers, and management of compensation measures. On biodiversity, the DVL works on protection of field and meadow birds such as the skylark and partridge, biotope networks, insect protection, rare arable wild herbs, and regionally native (autochthonous) seed. On extensive grazing, the DVL works with European and German partner organisations to embed extensive pasture farming in the EU's Common Agricultural Policy and to propose practical improvements for herd protection. On energy and climate protection, it addresses emission reduction through gentle use of organic soils, energetic use of landscape management material, and testing of alternatives. The DVL is institutionally supported in part by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) to strengthen and further expand the network of landscape management organisations. It is a member of numerous bodies at federal and state level, including the German Nature Conservation Ring (Deutscher Naturschutzring, DNR) and the Europe-wide Landcare Europe network. Its current chair is Maria Noichl, Member of the European Parliament, with Ute Grothey and Gerhard Bronner as deputy chairs.

• 1993

  DVL founded on 4 June 1993 in Berlin as the umbrella organisation of German landscape management organisations.

• Josef Göppel and Florian Meusel serve as founding chairmen and later become honorary chairmen.

• DVL grows to represent around 200 landscape management organisations working with over 12,000 farms, 4,000 municipalities and 2,000 associations.

• DVL develops the Gemeinwohlprämie (public good premium) concept for the Common Agricultural Policy.

• Maria Noichl, Member of the European Parliament, becomes chair of the DVL.

Non-profit umbrella association uniting agriculture, forestry, nature conservation and municipalities under the principle of third-parity (Drittelparität); a science-based, practice-oriented policy and advisory body for landscape management in Germany and Europe.

• Gemeinwohlprämie (public good premium)

  An innovative policy approach developed by the DVL for rewarding public goods in the Common Agricultural Policy.

• Überbetrieblicher Agrarnaturschutz (cross-farm agri-nature conservation)

  A cooperative approach to nature conservation across farms promoted by the DVL.

• Kirchberger Erklärung on near-natural grazing

  A declaration on near-natural grazing published by the DVL.

• Policy paper on a public good premium system in the CAP from 2028

  A policy paper outlining a public good premium system in the CAP from 2028.

• Expert paper: grassland funding rethought

  An expert paper on rethinking grassland funding.

1. 1Startseite: DVLdvl.org
2. 2Deutscher Verband für Landschaftspflege – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
3. 3Deutscher Verband für Landschaftspflege – Wikidatawikidata.org