Eco-points and compensation areas
City of Osnabrück
Eco-points and compensation areas for projects in the independent city of Osnabrück, assessed using the Lower Saxon biotope value procedure. greeNature is your nationwide full-service partner for compensation of impacts in the city area and Osnabrück uplands, from requirements determination through to acceptance by the lower nature conservation authority.
The City of Osnabrück at a glance
Osnabrück is an independent city in south-west Lower Saxony and with approximately 165,000 residents on 119.8 km² one of the largest cities in the state. The city area, divided into 23 districts, is almost completely surrounded by Osnabrück District, only in the west at Lotte does it border the North Rhine-Westphalia Steinfurt district (Tecklenburg Land). A district level is not interposed, as Lower Saxony abolished administrative districts in 2004.
Geographically, the city is located in the Osnabrück uplands, set between the Wiehen Mountains upland in the north and the Teutoburg Forest in the south. Highest elevation is Piesberg at 188 m, a former coal mine and quarry location with warm-dry secondary habitats, the lowest point is around 54 m at the Hase in Pye district. The Hase flows through with its tributary streams Nette and Düte the city area and forms the distinctive watercourse and habitat network corridors.
Ecologically significant are four FFH sites, all of which extend beyond the city boundary into the district, including the Düte floodplain with tributary streams secured as a nature reserve and the bat habitat Wiehen Mountains with the Piesberg tunnels as an important winter roost. Additionally, there are landscape and nature conservation areas, legally protected biotopes, old wallhedges and with Rubbenbruch Lake and Atter Lake the largest still waters of the city. Piesberg is simultaneously part of the UNESCO Global Geopark TERRA.vita.
The economy is shaped by automobile manufacturing (Volkswagen location), metal and copper processing (KME), paper industry and a strong logistics sector with companies such as Hellmann and Koch International, plus the university and higher education city. Housing, such as conversion of the former goods station to the Lok-Viertel, commercial and logistics areas as well as transport projects at the A1 and A30 motorway junction regularly trigger impacts. Their compensation must be provided in Lower Saxony via biotope value procedure with eco-points based on the impact mitigation regulation under §§ 13 to 15 BNatSchG and NAGBNatSchG and is maintained in NLWKN's compensation register.
🗺️ Associated natural regions
Go to natural region D36 ›
📍 City districts
🌿 Ecological features
- FFH site Düte with tributary streams, secured as nature reserve Düte floodplain with tributary streams, near-natural stream floodplains with floodplain forest remnants and wet grassland in the south of the city
- FFH site bat habitat Wiehen Mountains near Osnabrück (no. 446) with Piesberg tunnels as an important bat roost
- A total of four FFH sites in the city area, all with land shares in the adjacent Osnabrück District
- Piesberg (188 m), highest elevation of the city and former coal mine and quarry location, today part of UNESCO Global Geopark TERRA.vita
- Hase with tributary streams Nette and Düte as continuous watercourse and habitat network corridors, subject of the Living Hase restoration project
- Rubbenbruch Lake and Atter Lake as largest still waters, landscape protection area in the Rubbenbruch area with wet meadows and vegetation
- Transition location between the Wiehen Mountains (natural region D36) and the Westphalian Lowland Basin (D34) with wallhedges, traditional orchards and limestone beech forests of the uplands
✅ greeNature on the ground
greeNature operates nationwide and is familiar with the Lower Saxon compensation system. For projects in Osnabrück, we work with the city's environment and climate protection department as the lower nature conservation authority and with NLWKN, know the biotope value procedure with eco-points and the relevant NLWKN working guidelines and the special characteristics of urban and peri-urban habitats in Osnabrück uplands. From requirements determination through land securing through to implementation, management and monitoring, we accompany your project consistently.
Typical measures in the city of Osnabrück
Watercourse restoration on Hase, Nette and Düte
Removal of riverbank defences, creation of watercourse buffer strips and near-natural reshaping of urban flowing waters as part of the Living Hase project. Such measures achieve high upgrading in the biotope value procedure and create habitat for kingfisher, fish and amphibians.
Land restoration and removal
Removal of sealed areas on conversion and brownfield sites, such as in the vicinity of former rail and industrial areas, with subsequent greening or restoration of soil and vegetation structures. In densely built city areas, land restoration is an effective and well-recognized compensation.
Grassland extensification in the lowlands
Conversion of intensively used areas to species-rich wet and wet grassland in the floodplains of Hase and Düte. Adapted mowing timing, no fertilisation and creation of shallow pools create breeding and feeding habitats for meadow-breeding birds and amphibians.
Forest conversion and replacement afforestation
Development of site-appropriate broadleaf and limestone beech forests on the slopes of Wiehen Mountains and Teutoburg Forest as well as replacement afforestation on suitable fringe areas. They serve as compensation for felled vegetation and as permanently secured compensation areas.
Wallhedges, hedgerows and traditional orchards
Creation and restoration of landscape-typical wallhedges as well as field copses and traditional orchards in the peri-urban area. These structures network habitats, act as stepping-stone biotopes and upgrade denuded marginal areas of the city.
Species protection CEF and FCS
Advance compensatory measures under § 44 BNatSchG, such as replacement roosts for bats in buildings and tunnels, cliff faces for kingfisher and replacement habitats for sand lizard and amphibians, coordinated with the respective project.
Protected species in the Osnabrück uplands between Wiehen Mountains and Teutoburg Forest
Bats at Piesberg and Wiehen Mountains
The Piesberg tunnels and bat habitat Wiehen Mountains are important roosts for strictly protected bat species (Annex IV Habitats Directive). In demolition, renovation or tree felling, replacement roosts as advance CEF measures are required.
About this species ›Sand lizard on railway and ruderal areas
Warm-dry slopes, railway embankments and secondary habitats at Piesberg offer suitable habitats for sand lizard. In building and infrastructure projects, relocation and creation of replacement habitats with stone ridges are typical measures under § 44 BNatSchG.
About this species ›Kingfisher on Hase, Nette and Düte
Near-natural bank sections of urban flowing waters offer the kingfisher cliff walls for breeding. Cliff modelling and riverbank restoration are proven CEF measures in watercourse and floodplain impacts.
About this species ›Amphibians in floodplains and small water bodies
Grass frog, common toad and newts inhabit the small waters of Düte floodplain, Rubbenbruch and fluctuating wet hollows. New or restored spawning waters in spatial connection secure breeding sites in impacts.
About this species ›Northern lapwing in wet grassland
In the open grassland lowlands on the city edge, northern lapwing appears as a meadow-breeding bird. Rewetting, shallow pool creation and grassland extensification act as advance CEF measures for this species.
About this species ›Skylark in open arable land
The arable and grassland areas on the city edges in Atter, Pye and Voxtrup are habitat for skylark. In building and infrastructure procedures, skylark patches, flower strips and extensive arable buffer strips are proven species protection measures.
About this species ›Which projects trigger a compensation obligation?
Housing and conversion
New residential building areas as well as conversion of the former goods station to the Lok-Viertel at the main railway station create impacts, whose nature conservation compensation can be efficiently covered via stockpiled eco-points.
Commerce, industry and logistics
Automobile manufacturing, metal and copper processing and a strong logistics sector lead to plant expansions and development of commercial and logistics areas. Such projects regularly trigger compensation and replacement obligations.
Transport and infrastructure
At the motorway junction of A1 and A30 as well as at federal and city roads, bridge structures, railway facilities and cycle paths, compensation requirements arise, which can be covered via eco-points and compensation areas.
Energy and network infrastructure
Expansion of photovoltaic, transformer and line facilities in city and hinterland areas makes nature conservation compensation and frequently species protection assessments with CEF measures necessary.
From enquiry to monitoring
Contact and enquiry
Tell us your compensation requirement and the natural region. We check availability.
Offer and advice
A transparent offer covering measure types, scope and availability.
Coordination with authorities
Full coordination with the lower nature conservation authority. We handle everything.
Long-term monitoring
Permanent securing of the land, management and documentation across the contract term.
Eco-points in adjoining districts
All about eco-points
in the city of Osnabrück
Request eco-points in the city of Osnabrück
We will promptly prepare a transparent offer with matching eco-points held in stock in the city of Osnabrück.