General decree concerning the designation of the “Mittelelbe” Biosphere Reserve

Promulgation by the Ministry for Agriculture and the Environment of the State of - Anhalt (MLU) of 2 February 2006 – 41.11-22421 On the basis of Article 33 in conjunction with Article 39 para 2 of the Nature Conservation Act of the State of Saxony-Anhalt (Naturschutzgesetz des Landes Sachsen-Anhalt – NatSchG LSA) of 23 July 2004 (GVBl. LSA, p. 454), last amended by Art. 3 of the Act of 20 December 2005 (GVBl. LSA pp. 769, 801), and in conjunction with Section II No. 8 of the decision by the state government on the establishment of the government of Saxony-Anhalt and the demarcation of departmental competences of 9/23 July 2002 (MBl. LSA p. 779), last amended by the decision of 13 December 2005 (MBl. LSA 2006 p. 7), and the criteria of the “Man and the Biosphere” programme of UNESCO, the following is decreed:

1. Designation as biosphere reserve Parts of the territories of the districts (Landkreise) and constituting districts in their own right (kreisfreie Städte) listed under Number 2 along the course of the river in the state (Land) of Saxony-Anhalt (Sachsen-Anhalt) from the boundary to the Land of Saxony (Sachsen) to the boundary to the states (Länder) of and (Niedersachsen) and parts of the Schwarze Elster, , , Ohre, Tanger, and Aland tributaries to the Elbe are declared a biosphere reserve. The biosphere reserve receives the name “Mittelelbe”. It is a component part of the “Flusslandschaft Elbe” Biosphere Reserve spanning the territories of several Länder as recognised internationally by UNESCO.

2. Description and delimitation of the area

2.1. The biosphere reserve has a size of 125,743 ha. The biosphere reserve covers in full or in part: a) Areas of the districts of and ; b) In the district of Anhalt- areas of the towns of Coswig (Anhalt), Oranienbaum, Roßlau (Elbe) and Wörlitz and of the municipalities of , Gödnitz, , , , , , , , Leps, Lübs, Prödel, , , , and ; c) In the district of areas of the municipality of Pobzig; d) In the district of areas of the towns of Bitterfeld, Jeßnitz (Anhalt) and and of the municipalities of Altjeßnitz, Bobbau, Friedersdorf, Greppin, Marke, Mühlbeck, , Retzau and Schierau; e) In the district of Köthen areas of the town of Aken (Elbe) and of the municipalities of Diebzig, Dornbock, Drosa, Micheln and Wulfen; f) In the district of areas of the towns of Burg, and and of the municipalities of , Elbe-Parey, Gerwisch, Gübs, Hohenwarthe and Lostau; g) In the district of areas of the town of and of the municipalities of Angern, Bertingen, Glindenberg, Heinrichsberg, Loitsche, and Rogätz; h) In the district of Schönebeck areas of the towns of Barby (Elbe) and Schönebeck (Elbe) and of the municipalities of Breitenhagen, Glinde, Groß Rosenburg, Lödderitz, Plötzky, Pömmelte, Pretzien, Ranies, Sachsendorf, Tornitz and Zuchau; i) In the district of areas of the towns of , , (Elbe), Seehausen (), Tangermünde and (Elbe) and of the municipalities of Altenzaun, Aulosen, Behrendorf, Beuster, Bittkau, Bölsdorf, Buch, Demker, Fischbeck (Elbe), Geestgottberg, Gollensdorf, Grieben, Grobleben, Groß Garz, Hämerten, Hohengöhren, Jerchel, , Kehnert, , Krüden, Losenrade, Neuermark-Lübars, Neukirchen (Altmark), Pollitz, Ringfurth, Sandauerholz, Schelldorf, , Schönberg, Schönfeld, Schönhausen (Elbe), Storkau (Elbe), Uetz, Wahrenberg, Wanzer, Wendemark and Wulkau; j) In the district of areas of the towns of (Elster), Lutherstadt Wittenberg and Pretzsch (Elbe) and of the municipalities of Axien, Dabrun, Elster (Elbe), Globig-Bleddin, , Klöden, Listerfehrda, Möhlau, Mühlanger, Priesitz, Schleesen, Schützberg, , Trebitz and Wartenburg.

2.2. The biosphere reserve comprises the following

2.2.1 Statutory nature reserves (Naturschutzgebiete): a) Alte Elbe bei Bösewig b) Alte Elbe zwischen Kannenberg und Berge c) Arneburger Hang d) Bucher Brack-Bölsdorfer Haken e) Crassensee f) Diebziger Busch g) Dornburger Mosaik h) Elbaue Beuster-Wahrenberg i) Elsholzwiesen j) Garbe-Alandniederung k) Großer Streng l) Jederitzer Holz m) Krägen-Riss n) Kreuzhorst o) Mittlere Oranienbaumer Heide p) Möster Birken q) Neolith-Teich r) Riß s) Rogätzer Hang-Ohremündung t) Saalberghau u) Saarenbruch-Matzwerder v) Schelldorfer See w) Schollener See x) Schönitzer See y) Steckby-Lödderitzer Forst z) Steinhorste aa) Stremel ab) Taubequellen ac) Taufwiesenberge ad) Untere Mulde ae) Untere Schwarze Elster af) Weinberg bei Hohenwarthe ag) Wulfener Bruchwiesen

2.2.2 Landscape conservation areas (Landschaftsschutzgebiete): a) Aland-Elbe-Niederung b) Arneburger Hang c) Barleber und Jersleber See mit Ohre- und Elbniederung d) Elbetal Crassensee e) Elbetal – zwischen Wittenberg und Bösewig f) Elbtalaue g) Elbetal zwischen Elster und Sachau h) Mittelelbe i) Mittlere Elbe j) Oranienbaumer Heide k) Umflutehle-Külzauer Forst l) Untere Havel m) Zuwachs-Külzauer Forst

2.2.3 The “Mittlere Elbe” Biosphere Reserve:

The statutes and decisions of the statutory nature reserves and landscape conservation areas located within the boundaries of the biosphere reserve remain unaffected by this decree, in their wording as currently valid. This decree does not prejudice the designation of further protected areas within the meaning of Article 29 para 1 No. 2 and No. 3 NatSchG LSA and their inclusion in the core area, buffer zone or transition area.

2.3. The Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Realm (Gartenreich Dessau-Wörlitz) UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site is located within the biosphere reserve.

2.4. The boundary of the biosphere reserve is marked in a set of topographical maps consisting of 156 map sheets, scale 1:10,000 (TK 10). The maps are a component part of this general decree. The exact boundary of the biosphere reserve is the outer edge of the black line, on the side of the line facing away from the protected area, marked by black triangles. The location of the biosphere reserve further follows from the two-part overview map (north and south part, scale 1:300,000 – annex) published together with this general decree.

The decree and the set of maps, scale 1:10,000, can be inspected free of charge during office hours at the higher nature conservation authority and at the State Environment Agency (Landesamt für Umweltschutz). In addition, the lower nature conservation authorities whose areas are concerned will make the decree and the respective district-level sets of maps, scale 1:10,000, available for inspection free of charge during office hours.

3. Zonation

3.1 The biosphere reserve is divided into the following zones. a) Core area (Kernzone, Zone 1), b) Buffer zone (Pflegezone, Zone 2), c) Transition area (Entwicklungszone, Zone 3).

3.2 Zone 1 (core area) comprises those parts of the existing statutory nature reserves in which nature is left to run its course free of human influence. In the core area all human use is excluded as a matter of principle, in order to allow the undisturbed development of the natural habitats of animal and plant species and the development of natural processes.

3.3 Zone 2 (buffer zone) comprises the other parts of the existing statutory nature reserves. The buffer zone serves the conservation and maintenance of ecosystems created or influenced by human use. It comprises a broad spectrum of different habitats for numerous animal and plant species – including threatened ones – that are characteristic of the natural areas in question. The buffer zone is to shield the core area from adverse effects.

3.4 Zone 3 (transition area) comprises the existing landscape conservation areas and all other territory within the boundary of the biosphere reserve. The transition area is a living, working and recreational area for the human population. It is shaped by sustainable patterns of production and consumption that do justice in equal measure to the needs of people and nature.

3.5 The zonation conforms to the criteria of UNESCO’s “Man and the Biosphere” programme in accordance with the “Statutory Framework of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves” and the “Criteria for Designation and Evaluation of UNESCO Biosphere Reserves in ”.

4. Purpose of the biosphere reserve

4.1 A biosphere reserve is an area of national and international importance in which the coexistence of people and nature is maintained and promoted in an exemplary manner. It serves to protect and develop in a uniform manner historically evolved cultural landscapes in accordance with the “Statutory Framework of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves” within the context of UNESCO’s “Man and the Biosphere” programme and the “Criteria for Designation and Evaluation of UNESCO Biosphere Reserves in Germany”.

4.2 By combining the functions listed in the following, the biosphere reserve is to serve as an area where approaches are pioneered for regional-level conservation and sustainable development and its research, demonstration and communication: a) Contribution to preserving landscapes, ecosystems, species, and genetic and biological diversity, as well as natural development processes in the zones designated for that purpose; b) Promotion of environmentally sound and socially equitable economic and touristic development; c) Promotion of demonstration projects, environmental education and training, research and environmental monitoring within the context of local, regional, national and global themes relating to conservation and sustainable development.

4.3 The purpose of designation as a biosphere reserve is the conservation of biological diversity and the development and promotion of the rich natural endowments of supraregional importance and of the exemplary, sustainable forms of land and forest use and regional development that do justice to the landscape in accordance with the “Statutory Framework of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves” within the context of UNESCO’s “Man and the Biosphere” programme.

4.4 The biosphere reserve serves, in particular, to maintain and restore the characteristic structures of a natural river floodplain and to manage and develop the landscapes that have evolved historically in processes shaped by the Elbe, its tributaries and backwaters. Particular importance attaches in this regard to the development of the Elbe, its tributaries and backwaters as riverine lowlands of high water quality and the development of their natural floodplain dynamics, especially the structures of importance to water ecology such as gravel, sand and muddy banks, cliff faces, steep banks and the processes that permit these morphological structures, taking account of proper water discharge. This does not prejudice Land-level flood protection concerns (Amendment MBl LSA 45-2006.doc), especially the measures required to maintain and safeguard the installations necessary for flood protection.

4.5 The preservation, maintenance and development of the historically evolved cultural landscape, parts of which have been shaped by design, notably the Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Realm, is to be safeguarded by means of long-term sustainable use of natural resources in accordance with UNESCO’s “Man and the Biosphere” programme.

5. Implementing institution, administration The Land of Saxony-Anhalt is the institution implementing the “Mittelelbe” Biosphere Reserve. The biosphere reserve administration is a part of the higher nature conservation authority. It performs the tasks of a biosphere reserve administration in accordance with the national and international “Man and the Biosphere” programme of UNESCO.

6. Entry into force This general decree comes into effect on the day follow its promulgation in the ministerial gazette (Ministerialblatt) of the Land of Saxony-Anhalt. It is made public in all towns and administrative units concerned.

7. Legal remedies A complaint, in writing or verbally, against this decree can be lodged within a period of one month following its promulgation with the Magdeburg administrative court (Verwaltungs- gericht Magdeburg), Schönebecker Straße 67a in D-39104 Magdeburg (for matters concerning areas located in the districts of Jerichower Land, Ohrekreis, Schönebeck and Stendal or in the district town of Magdeburg) and with the Dessau administrative court (Verwaltungsgericht Dessau), Mariannenstraße 35 in D-06844 Dessau (for matters concerning areas located in the districts of Anhalt-Zerbst, Bernburg, Bitterfeld, Köthen and Wittenberg or in the town district of Dessau).

Publication order The promulgation of the General decree concerning the designation of the “Mittelelbe” Biosphere Reserve (publication by MLU of 2 February 2006 – 41.11-22421) is to be published in accordance with Article 33 para 1 of the Nature Conservation Act of Saxony- Anhalt. For the territory of Magdeburg (the capital city of Lower Saxony), promulgation is to take place by means of the customary publication in the official gazette of the city of Magdeburg. I hereby order the publication, in accordance with Article 2 para 2 of the statutes on the form of public announcements of the city of Magdeburg, Abl 68/02 of 11 June 2002. The Ministry for Agriculture and the Environment of the State of Saxony-Anhalt guarantees the accuracy of the statements made. Magdeburg, 5 April 2006 signed Dr. Trümper, Magdeburg Mayor Official seal