Black Forest is getting bigger: National park expansion causes excitement!

The Black Forest National Park faces a significant expansion, which has led to intensive debates in the region in the past few weeks. Michael Ruf, the mayor of Baiersbronn, has positively commented on the new commitments of the State Environment Ministry. However, he needs a written presentation of these offers for a final assessment. The municipality of Baiersbronn has about 15,000 inhabitants and plays a central role in the discussion about the increase in protection.

Environment Minister Thekla Walker has given assurances regarding the expansion of the national park. The agreements stipulate that the existing infrastructure, such as roads and water supply, is preserved and further developed in the new area. Interference in the forest, especially in populated areas such as the Langenbach valley, remains possible. At the same time, the forest will remain accessible to the public and collecting berries and wood storage are allowed.

Details on the planned expansion

The national park is to be expanded by a gap between the two previous sections. Area of the Murg Schifferchaft forest cooperative are exchanged for state forest in the region. The Langenbach Valley and other areas will be part of the national park in the future. The national park council will decide on the proposed expansion on January 31. However, a call expresses concerns that the three weeks until this decision are a very short period of time.

Another step in the planning took place at the end of October 2024 when the government coalition agreed to expand the national park. Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann was pleased with the breakthrough achieved. Environment Minister Thekla Walker emphasized the opportunities that are offered by the expansion for nature, tourism and the region. The national park council unanimously agreed to the agreement on November 4th.

Content of the agreement

The planned expansion of the national park results in because the national park is to grow from 10,062 hectares to around 11,500 hectares. This includes the sale of shares in Murg shipping, which will exchange the state forest for the same value. Certain marginal areas go into the jurisdiction of the State Company ForstBW, while the buffer areas are permanently managed to protect against bark beetles. It is also ensured that the development and core zone of the national park remains unmistaked.

The next steps will include the specific design in the coming weeks in cooperation with the affected municipalities, the National Park Administration and ForstBW. The goal is to determine the exact limits and a fine -tuning of the work card before a draft is brought back to the national park council at the end of January 2025. In the event of a positive decision, a legislative procedure for amending the National Park Act would follow.