Heroldstatt takes the last chance to expand the area in the BSA!

Heroldstatt takes the last chance to expand the area in the BSA!

The municipality of Heroldstatt has decided to incorporate large areas into the Swabian Alb biosphere area (BSA). The local council took this important step with a narrow majority, making Heroldstatt one of the last municipalities that can still integrate areas into the BSA. This expansion will increase the area from approximately 85,000 to 121,000 hectares, representing the last chance for municipalities to participate in this significant project.

The Heroldstatt local council has been working on adding additional space for almost five years. A citizen survey was conducted in 2021. In February 2024, the council finally approved the restricted forests in the municipality, which are necessary as “core zones” for membership in the BSA. Historically, Heroldstatt was already part of the BSA through the Breithülen district, but these expansions are crucial for the future development of the community.

Great interest from the municipalities

Heiner Scheffold, district administrator of the Alb-Donau district, emphasizes the interest of many municipalities in sharing the advantages of the biosphere area. It commemorates the beginnings of the BSA, which was recognized by UNESCO in 2009. At that time, the Alb-Donau district was rather cautious, while the Reutlingen district took part immediately. In the current expansion round in 2023, 26 cities and municipalities were asked to contribute their areas. The result was impressive: 16 of 17 municipalities contacted showed interest, including six new municipalities that would like to join.

However, there were concerns about the vote in Heroldstatt. Alexandra Friedrich, one of the council members, asked whether it would be possible for the community to leave the BSA again. Scheffold reassured members by explaining that although an exit is theoretically possible, it has never happened in all these years. The whole thing is voluntary and no municipality is forced to remain in the BSA.

Skepticism due to contradictory information

Another issue that came up in the discussion is the concerns of the peasantry. Andreas Füll, a councilor and farmer, spoke of concerns about possible restrictions on the use of plant protection products by the EU. Achim Nagel, head of the BSA office, made it clear that it is not the biosphere areas but other protected areas that are affected by such regulations. This confusion was caused by a statement by Baden-Württemberg Minister Peter Hauk last summer that was misleading.

Scheffold emphasized that EU requirements affect agriculture as a whole and not specifically biosphere areas. He pointed out that possible tightening would not take place based on the biosphere areas, but through other guidelines, such as the Flora-Fauna Habitats Directive. Tobias Brammer, deputy head of the biosphere office, added that the BSA would support agricultural operations if there were new regulations to make their implementation easier.

The official decision to incorporate the land was made with a narrow result of six votes to five. Michael Weber, the Schultes, described this vote as democratic, even if the result was close. The decision to become part of the biosphere reserve is of great importance for Heroldstatt as it enables the community to take advantage of future opportunities associated with membership.

The Heroldstatt decision is perceived by many as a significant development within the Swabian Alb biosphere area. It will be exciting to see how the area will develop in the coming years and what impact the new regulations will have on the communities and their agriculture. For more information on this topic, see the current reporting on www.schwaebische.de.