Beech forests will be UNESCO World Heritage

The National Park Hainich

Thuringia is seeking the nomination of the unique beech forests of the National Park Hainich as a UNESCO World Heritage site. For a corresponding application to support the nomination campaign, also the Thuringian Minister for Agriculture, Nature Conservation and Environment Dr. Volker Sklenar championed this project in his speech to the Thuringian Landtag.

The nomination

By this years autumn, a joint request of selected German beech forest regions in Thuringia, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Brandenburg and Hesse under the aegis of Thuringia will be developed. This will justify the inclusion of beech forests as a world natural heritage and is supposed to be submitted to the World Heritage Committee in early 2009 for its examination. The nomination will range – according to current planning – until 2010. Finally, the confirmation as a world natural heritage is expected for the year 2011.