Joint project

Euregio wants to work together to strengthen forests and make them climate-proof

The three regions want to work together to tackle damage in the local forests.(Bild: Land Tirol)

More resistant forests and the bark beetle were the top priorities at the forest protection conference in East Tyrol. Cross-border cooperation will be strengthened and underpinned by a declaration. In future, the focus will be on trees from the region.

It was a clear commitment to the forest with all its functions that those responsible spoke out in favor of at the Euregio forest protection conference in Obertilliach. In addition, cooperation between the Tyrol, South Tyrol and Trentino regions is to be further strengthened. At the top of the agenda were pests and the improvement of local forests: "The bark beetle damage shows that we need to make our forests climate-ready for the future. To achieve this, we need active, sustainable forest management," explained Minister Norbert Totschnig.

Local inspection: Giovanni Giovannini (Forestry Service Trento) LR Luis Walcher, BM Norbert Totschnig, LR Josef Geisler (from left).(Bild: EXPA/ Johann Groder)

There is no question that a lot of money is needed for the reforestation and clean-up work. The ministry is making 450 million euros available.

Climate fit from the region
Cross-border cooperation will also help to manage the work. To this end, a joint declaration with strategies for safeguarding the mountain forests was signed. "The aim is to preserve the forest as a protective function and habitat. This also includes the joint forest management of diseased forests," says South Tyrol's regional councillor Luis Walcher. Native forest plants should enable the reforestation of climate-friendly mountain forests.