ÖSTERREICHISCHE BUNDESFORSTE AG / Head Quarters / Dipl.-Ing. Gerald Plattner

Working in Partnership for Natura 2000

Forestry Case Study

18 OCT 2005

Training Seminar “Developing Stakeholder Partnerships”Natura Network Initiative - Europarc Federation National Park Neusiedler See – Seewinkel

ÖSTERREICHISCHE BUNDESFORSTE AG / Head Quarters / Dipl.-Ing. Gerald Plattner

> Protection

> Sustainable Management

> Balancing Diverse Interests

> Conservation

ÖBf AG - THE AUSTRIAN FEDERAL FORESTRY COMPANYKNOW-HOW

ÖSTERREICHISCHE BUNDESFORSTE AG / Head Quarters / Dipl.-Ing. Gerald Plattner

ÖBf AGFOCUSING ON STAKEHOLDER INTERESTS

Forest CommunityGeneral Public, Politics

Commercial business

Nature Conservation

Tourism

Recreation

Preservation

Economy, Efficiency

Commercial Operations

ÖSTERREICHISCHE BUNDESFORSTE AG / Head Quarters / Dipl.-Ing. Gerald Plattner

� Approx. 10% of Austria’s territory

> 15% of Austria’s woodlands

> Over 80 lakes

> 46% of the area managed by

ÖBF AG is protected by law

ÖBf AGMANAGED LAND AREAS

ÖSTERREICHISCHE BUNDESFORSTE AG / Head Quarters / Dipl.-Ing. Gerald Plattner

ÖSTERREICHISCHE BUNDESFORSTE AG / Head Quarters / Dipl.-Ing. Gerald Plattner

AVAILABLE APPROACHES

> Areas registered with the EU without consulting the landowners

> Strong top-down approach

> Tension and reactions

> Those affected voice shock and concern

> Dialog generated in the federal states

> Initiatives launched by ÖBf and forestry industry as a whole

ÖSTERREICHISCHE BUNDESFORSTE AG / Head Quarters / Dipl.-Ing. Gerald Plattner

Example I: Bottom-Up ApproachFederal State of Salzburg

BASIC FRAMEWORK

> New areas designated only upon

agreement with the landowners

> Establishing criteria together with the

landowners on an operational level, or

even based on their proposals

> Clear commitment to financial

compensation

> Contractual nature protection

> ÖBf initiatives

ÖSTERREICHISCHE BUNDESFORSTE AG / Head Quarters / Dipl.-Ing. Gerald Plattner

Example I: Bottom-Up ApproachFederal State of Salzburg

ÖBf MANAGAMENT PLAN

SALZACHAUEN – BIRD

DIRECTIVE

> Protection of special species –minimizing disruptions

> Conservation of special habitat types

> Continued management of forest areas

> Use recommendations: when/how/by what means

> Deadwood enhancement

> Steering of visitors

> Documentation: operation/display in the field

ÖSTERREICHISCHE BUNDESFORSTE AG / Head Quarters / Dipl.-Ing. Gerald Plattner

Example II: Top-Down ApproachFederal Sate of Lower Austria

2000 Environmental Protection Act

>Rules regarding area designation

>Verification of the relevance of

projects

>Environmental compatibility test:

Does considerable impairment

exist?

>Management plans

ÖSTERREICHISCHE BUNDESFORSTE AG / Head Quarters / Dipl.-Ing. Gerald Plattner

Top-Down Approach Federal State of Lower Austria

“AREA FOLDER”(dynamic planning document)

> Concrete protective measures

on the regional level

> Provides landowners with

information + orientation:

“What’s permitted, what isn’t”

> Designated contacts:

Landowners aren’t specifically

mentioned

> Danger of generalization and

schematic prohibitions

>Conversion of use

>Alteration of use

>For habitat types and habitats related to forestry areas:

>Infrastructure Projects = street and bridge construction, transport paths, forest roads, etc.

>Building Construction = the construction of buildings or other structures

>Earth-moving measures that alter existing landscape types

Test-relevant measures regarding use:

ÖSTERREICHISCHE BUNDESFORSTE AG / Head Quarters / Dipl.-Ing. Gerald Plattner

Example II: Top-Down ApproachFederal State of Lower Austria

MANAGEMENT PLAN(dynamic planning document)

> Establishes concrete goals for the area

> Projects: test-relevant / not test-relevant

> Designated contacts: landowners not specifically mentioned

> Conservation status: area description, protected objects

> Conservation goals

> Conservation measures (activation, “contractual nature

protection”)

ÖSTERREICHISCHE BUNDESFORSTE AG / Head Quarters / Dipl.-Ing. Gerald Plattner

Example III: Participative ApproachFederal State of Upper Austria

UPPER AUSTRIA – ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ACT §35:

Participation

>Public must be informed

>Landowners can request expert committee

>for management plans, compensation

>Public authority must perform cost

estimate

ÖSTERREICHISCHE BUNDESFORSTE AG / Head Quarters / Dipl.-Ing. Gerald Plattner

Example IV: The Forestry Plan as a New Natural SpacePlanning Instrument(Forest Management + Natura 2000)

1. Standard data / description of the situation

2. Project description

3. Current status

4. Planned measures and their implementation

5. Measures for steering visitors

6. Overview of the project time schedule and cost plan

7. “Control measures” for ensuring success

8. Summary

9. Supplements

ÖSTERREICHISCHE BUNDESFORSTE AG / Head Quarters / Dipl.-Ing. Gerald Plattner

Example IV - Resume: Forestry Plan and Natura 2000(Forest Management + Natura 2000)

Offers advantages, because:

> Those affected become participants

> Data from the larger companies is available

> Optimal use of resources

> Planning / Parity of Interests / Support / Monitoring = core

responsibilities of forest managers

ÖSTERREICHISCHE BUNDESFORSTE AG / Head Quarters / Dipl.-Ing. Gerald Plattner

CONCLUSIONS

> The issue is governed by European law, which must be implemented;

> “How” remains the big question!

> Participation is necessary to achieve success!

> Landowners must enter the process early, or else others will make the rules for them;

> Their acting in a credible fashion is a key value;

> Costs should be estimated from the very beginning

> Forest managers must be able to recognize and formulate the advantages that implementation brings, and offer natural space management services accordingly.

ÖSTERREICHISCHE BUNDESFORSTE AG / Head Quarters / Dipl.-Ing. Gerald Plattner

Thank you for your attention!