... what has been achieved:

At the end of 2019, the LIFE+ project "Allianz für Borstgrasrasen" was completed. All subsidies have been spent, all goals that were set have been achieved and in some cases even exceeded.
With 2.6 million euros in funding from the European Union, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the district of Euskirchen, 117 hectares of former spruce monocultures in the Municipalities of Kall, Hellenthal and Dahlem were transformed into species-rich Nardus grasslands, Mountain hay meadows, Dry and Moist heaths.

Machines were used for the early assessment of the spruce trees. In some cases, work had to be done by hand, volunteers helped out, and horses dragged the felled tree trunks out in particularly damp, soil-protecting areas.
In order to give nature a jump-start, seeds of the desired plants were brought to the areas via the so-called "mowing transfer".

In the beginning there were considerable difficulties. A great deal of persuasion had to be put into the project, as not everyone liked the idea of clearing high-yield spruce forests for meadows and pastures. But in the meantime the initial scepticism has given way to enthusiasm in view of the visible and tangible results.
Woodlark, arnica, marsh gentian and also the Nordic eyebright are back. Rare butterflies, grasshoppers and birds have made the bristle grass grasslands and the habitats associated with them their own.

The "Alliance for Nardus grasslands" has made a great contribution to the preservation of the Eifel cultural landscape!

Concisely:

Nature conservation::
- New development or restoration of Nardus grassland, Mountain hay meadows, Dry and wet heaths with ecologically valuable woody plants on
117 ha
- Extension / late registration of Natura 2000 areas to 72 ha
- Preparation of maintenance and development plans for 115 ha

Financial:
- Owner compensation reinvested in nature conservation measures:
279.000 €
- Added value through the award of contracts to companies, firms, offices and service providers: € 1,700,000
- Compensation for forest functions implemented under forest law: € 270,000

Conservation measures:
- conifers felled and cleared on 64 ha
- scrub clearance on 29.5 ha
- cultivation with a forestry mulcher on 53.4 ha
- drainage ditches closed: 6,390 m
- area-calming measures (road clearance, restrictions on road use): 2,280 m
- purchase of over 99 ha and transfer of over 46.7 ha of mown material
- vegetation control measures on over 26 ha
- installation of 560 m fence made of knotted mesh,
  installation of 4,060 m of "wolf-proof" fencing,
  cooperation on a 2,277 m long fence system with the Keis Euskirchen
- conclusion of management contracts for over 77 ha

Public awareness, information and participation
Development and implementation of visitor guidance concepts through
- 2 circular routes with information boards, benches, footbridges and equipment of existing refuges
- 4 information boards and 2 benches outside of circular routes
- setting of 2 routes in a (hiking) tour portal:
♦ Durch bunte Wiesen und Weiden im Ländchen,
Theme trail - Manscheider Bachtal und Paulushof
♦ So weit das Auge reicht: blühende Vielfalt!
Theme trail - Wiesen, Borstgrasrasen, und Heiden bei Sistig

Tests and studies
- Environmental impact study: Forest conversion as part of the LIFE+ project "Allianz für Borstgrasrasen"
- Socio-economic study

Media and give-aways
- Internet presentation: www.life-borstgrasrasen.eu
- mobile, loanable exhibition: Bunt und vielfältig!
- brochure: So bunt, so vielfältig!
- poster: So bunt soll`s werden!
- layman's report
- flyers, postcards, postcards with seed packets, pencils, bags, calendars
- setting of films in the YouTube channel of the Eifelbiostations
- over 50 publications, press releases, press articles, announcements, radio features
- training of tour guides
- deployment of 70 volunteers
- over 1,000 informed persons at exhibitions, conferences, excursions, training courses, seminars, readings, professional exchanges and other events