Hambach Forest to receive permanent protection and become a wilderness development area

Background: From protest to agreement

The approximately 500-hectare forest between Cologne and Aachen is to be designated as a wilderness development area by the state after the transfer of ownership. In addition, two forest connection corridors are to be created, linking the Hambach Forest with the Steinheide and with the Merzenich Erbwald.

These corridors serve as an "eco-account" to compensate for interventions elsewhere in the mining district. At the same time, the Merzenich Erbwald is to be designated as a nature reserve by the regional government. The ecological and legal definition of forest is comprehensive: „Wald im Sinne dieses Gesetzes ist jede mit Forstpflanzen bestockte Grundfläche. Als Wald gelten auch kahlgeschlagene oder verlichtete Grundflächen, Waldwege, Waldeinteilungs- und Sicherungsstreifen, Waldblößen und Lichtungen, Waldwiesen, Wildäsungsplätze, Holzlagerplätze sowie weitere mit dem Wald verbundene und ihm dienende Flächen."

What does wilderness development area mean?

The declaration was signed by three members of the NRW state government: Economics Minister Mona Neubaur (Greens), Agriculture Minister Silke Gorißen (CDU), and Environment Minister Oliver Krischer (Greens). RWE Power AG, municipalities in the region, as well as agricultural and nature conservation associations are also contracting parties. The details are to be finalized in a public-law contract by the end of 2026.

NRW Economics Minister Mona Neubaur (Greens) described the outcome as an „Ergebnis harter Arbeit". She stated: „Der Hambacher Wald wird jetzt zu dem, was das Rheinische Revier insgesamt ist – eine Region, die ihre industrielle Vergangenheit nicht verdrängt, sondern in eine nachhaltigere, sichere Zukunft überführt."

Reactions from politics and nature conservation

Environment Minister Oliver Krischer said the forest would now permanently become „zu einem Ort des Schutzes, der Vielfalt und der Verantwortung für kommende Generationen". BUND had previously proposed developing the forest into a wilderness area.

Holger Sticht, BUND state chairman, spoke on behalf of the participating nature conservation associations and stated, „besteht die Chance, die ökologische Wiederbelebung der durch die Tagebaue geschundenen Region einen wichtigen Schritt voranzubringen".

The state government is currently developing a new State Forest Act, which is to replace the existing State Forestry Act. In an ecological sense, a forst (plantation forest) serves forestry with few tree species such as spruce or pine in rows, while a wald (forest) features a diverse range of woody species, varying spacing, more deciduous trees, more deadwood, as well as moss and shrub layers.

The completion of the opencast mine, the recultivation, and the flooding of the mine lake are not to be restricted by the protection measures. Following 2018, when the climate protests around the Hambach opencast mine attracted nationwide attention, the agreement marks a turning point in the handling of the forest.

The news was broadcast on 09.06.2026 on Deutschlandfunk. The article was published on the same day at 14:30 on WDR.de. Sources included a press release from the NRW State Chancellery, the State Forestry Act, the Federal Forest Act, as well as the broadcaster's own research and reporting.