To protect the Förstergrund as a typical meadow valley and thus as a habitat for rare plant species and endangered animal species, this part of Kelkheim has been a nature reserve for years. At the time of its designation as a nature reserve, there were only a few official and tolerated paths in the Förstergrund, including the path along the eastern edge from the Im Förstergrund road to the concrete-paved path between Fischbach and Hof Gimbach. In recent years, this has often been ignored by visitors to the nature reserve, often out of ignorance, who have left the "official" paths without permission and have also increasingly let dogs run loose on the meadows. "This has resulted in numerous footpaths across the protected meadows, as well as over the stream and the valuable, moister tall herbaceous areas there," according to a city statement. The result: Protected meadow areas, some of which contain sensitive plant species, have been destroyed, and the endangered animal species found there, such as meadow-nesting birds and resting game, are constantly disturbed. The use of the trails was prohibited back in 1990, and the marked paths were and are generally not allowed to be left. Dogs must be kept on a leash and walked only on the permitted paths. Many walkers apparently ignored this, so from now on, visitors to the protected area will be approached by employees of the city's public order office and made aware of the route. In the event of repeated offenses, warnings or fines may also be issued. To this end, new signs with appropriate warnings and barriers will be installed along illegal trails. The city states: "In addition, the tolerated paths will be mulched several times over the next few years so that their official character is immediately visible until the original path use is restored."
Translated by Google •
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