Nature Preservation
Unique butterfly habitat protected
in Fliess
After decades of effort, a nature preserve has been established in an area called the Sonnenhaenge near the village
of Fliess, southeast of Landeck in the Tirol. Encompassing 1.2 square kilometers, the Sonnenhaenge is one of the driest microclimates
in the Tirol, with a flora that attracts 1,200 species of butterflies. Provincial authorities are providing funding to the
village of Fliess to maintain and protect the site.
Mitigating highway impact on the Pfynwald in the Valais
Today, the A9 autobahn cuts through the Pfynwald near the towns of Leuk and Sierre in the Rhone
valley in the Valais. The cantonal governmental has recently authorized funds to reduce noise from the roadway and, in the
long term, to transform the Pfynwald into one of the most attractive nature parks in Switzerland. Plans, for example, call
for routing the A9 underground through the forest.
Expanding the Limestone Alps National Park in Upper Austria
Plans are underway to expand the size of the Limestone Alps National Park from 165 to 183
square kilometers. Anchored by the Sengsen range and the Reichraminger Hintergebirge, the park, established in 1997, has been
a great success story, balancing nature preservation with the economic concerns of local residents. 88% of the park is a protected
nature zone; limited Alpine farming activities are permitted in the rest of the park.
Park director Erich Mayerhofe
is given considerable credit for building a popular consensus behind the park expansion, an illusive goal in other Alpine
regions, where popular resistence to park expansion is often based on mistrust and misunderstanding.
The Limestone
Alps National Park will take on additional significance if plans go forward to create a Gesause National Park in the adjoining
province of Styria (Steiermark).
Visit the Kalkalpen National Park's informative web site (in German only): www.kalkalpen.at/
Lynx reintroduced in northeastern Switzerland
Under the auspices of a wildlife preservation project, six lynx were released in the Toggenburg (canton St. Gallen)
and at Toessstock in canton Zurich. The wild cats are outfitted with transmitters in order to monitor their movements.
One
of the other males,«Odin», has ranged as far as Lake Constance, returning to the Toggenburg via Appenzell und Schwägalp. «Rocco»,
lives in the area around Alvier and has ranged as far as the Turbenthal (direction Winterthur). These "treks," according to
biologist Robert Meier, indicate that the lynx are settling in." They've also developed healthy appetites, feasting on deer
and foxes. The project has caused little criticism--most people are fascinated by this bit of 'pure nature.' (tages-anzeiger
5/27/01)
"Naturalizing" the Rhone Valley
Known as the Third Correction of the Course of the Rhone, this massive undertaking will take 30 years to complete
and cost as much as SFr1 billion.
According to Swissinfo (12/2/00), "the first was between 1860 and 1890, the second from
1930 to 1960. Both had the aim of straightening and reducing the size of the river to provide more land for economic activity
such as farming and industry. While safety and flood-prevention remain paramount, there are also environmental and socio-economic
reasons for altering the flow of the river.
The Rhone is the backbone of the ecosystem in the region, but little remains
of its biodiversity. No fewer than 170 animal and plant species characteristic of the Rhone Valley are threatened, there are
very few fish in the river, and only six per cent of the valley can be considered “natural”.
There is
also a desire to re-establish the link between the people and the river. Where once the Rhone was a central part of the canton’s
identity, now it has lost its appeal. “Instead of fighting the river, we want to live with it and protect it,”
says the speaker of the cantonal parliament, Gérard Rebord, who is also an engineer on the project.
It is for these
reasons that a variety of methods are being used to alter the course of the Rhone. “Wherever possible, we will widen
the river. Where there are constraints, we will use classical methods, like raising dykes and deepening the river bed. By
giving the river more space, we can meet our objectives,” says Berod.
Once the work is completed, the river
will easily be able to accommodate volumes of water much greater than it had to cope with in October. Some 910 cubic metres
of water was passing through Sion every second during the floods. Once the correction project is complete, it will be able
to handle 1,200 cubic metres a second."
Blazing a butterfly trail near the Lungernsee
The Swiss Landscape Fund (find out about this innovative organization below) recently announced the Butterfly Path
on the west bank of the Lungern, which is located between Lucerne and Interlaken, as its 3rd winner of a campaign to promote
both landcape preservation and tourism.
On two recommended walking routes through a unique ecosystem, with its Alpine
meadows and forests, nature lovers can enjoy many beautiful vistas as well as a multitude of butterfly species. Visitors
can find out more about the Butterfly Path at the tourist bureau in Lungern-Schönbüel.
Development of these
paths is part of a more comprehensive project, "Kulturlandschaft Lungernsee-West," to preserve a 400 hectare landscape of
great value through the joint efforts of environmentalists, farmers, and tourism industry representatives.
The
Swiss Landscape Fund (SLF) carries out tasks in the areas of conservation, care and restoration of endangered cultivated
landscapes and semi-natural habitats, covering their ecological functions as well as their cultural and ecological values.
The SLF is financed through the voluntary contributions of the Confederation, the cantons and communes, businesses and
private individuals. General donations and active sponsorship for single projects are welcome.
New UNESCO biosphere
in the Entlebuch
The Entlebuch valley, which lies about 19 kilometers west of Lucerne, extends for about 23 kilometers from
Wohlhusen along the Kleine Emme river to the scattered village of Erscholzmatt, which is located on the watershed between
the Entlebuch and the Emmental in Canton Bern.
The communities of the Entlebuch valley in Canton Lucerne have agreed
to seek status as one of more than 350 UNESCO biosphere areas worldwide. As reported in the tagesanzeiger (September
29), the residents of Schuepfheim voted nearly unanimously for a yearly financial contribution toward the project of 4 Swiss
francs per resident. This followed similar votes in Fluehli, Escholzmatt, Entlebuch, Marbach, Hasle, Doppleschwand, and Romoos.
The
area encompasses 395 square kilometers of forest, marsh, and the chalky formations of the Schrattenfluh. UNESCO biosphere
areas are classified as landscapes of national significance. Unlike traditional nature preserves, however, UNESCO biospheres
allow economic activity that is compatible with preservation efforts. The Entlebuch petition acknowledges the economic value
of the "UNESCO label." A diverse landscape is critical to the development of tourism, it states. In addition, "an intact environment"
is a marketing tool in the sale of regional products.
For more information (in German) see www.biosphaere.ch
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