Our protection forest:

A lot of money and sweat for “life insurance”

After the unbelievable damage that a storm can cause, there is only one thing to do: reforestation!

(Bild: Land Tirol)

The aim of "Protection Forest Week" is to remind us that this is a kind of life insurance for our settlement area. However, times are also becoming increasingly difficult for them due to climate change. Tyrol's leaders met in Oetz to raise awareness.

Yesterday, the provincial leaders traveled to Oetz to remind people during the "Week of the Protection Forest" that its preservation is a costly but important matter. Over 70 percent of the forests in the province have the role of protecting settlements against natural hazards. However, windthrow, snow pressure and bark beetle infestation - intensified by climate change - are putting pressure on the protection forest. The municipality of Oetz can tell you a thing or two about this: 35,000 solid cubic meters were recently razed to the ground here.

Around 95% of the 600,000 solid cubic meters of damaged wood processed
In Tyrol, around 600,000 solid cubic meters of damaged wood fell in 2023. "Some of the processing is difficult," says Provincial Forestry Director Josef Fuchs, "around 95% of the work is now done, we have to leave the remaining 5% to fate."

Josef Fuchs, State Forestry Director, Josef Geisler, Hansjörg Falkner and Gebhard Walter (from left) are in a good mood because the catastrophic forest damage has now been dealt with.

(Bild: Daum Hubert)

Around six million seedlings
But not the affected forest areas: Here the focus of efforts is on reforestation and subsequent maintenance. "Over the next two years, we will need up to six million tree seedlings for reforestation in North and East Tyrol," says Fuchs. Particular attention will be paid to which trees are suitable for which areas. Mixed tree species such as fir, larch, oak and beech are preferred. However, planting is by no means the end of the story. LHStv. Geisler: "The seedlings must then be cared for for years so that they can develop optimally."

Around 22 million provincial euros for regeneration
A complex task for the future in any case, in which the torrent and avalanche control and the forestry service are also involved. This team will improve the quality of over 190,000 hectares of protective forest throughout Tyrol in the future. In order to ensure the reforestation and maintenance of the forests, a total of around 22 million euros will be available in 2024 to repair forest damage. Nevertheless, forest owners often have to dig into their pockets after the work has been done. There are not only rights, but also obligations.