Black Forest National Park: Historical expansion is imminent!

In the Black Forest National Park, significant changes are imminent. The responsible people plan to take a decision to expand the national park on January 31. This decision was discussed at a citizens' meeting in Baiersbronn, where municipal councilors of the five neighboring municipalities debated the planned expansion. Mayor Michael Ruf (CDU) emphasized the desire for more time for a comprehensive assessment.

The Baden-Württemberg state government has signaled that the state parliament will decide on the expansion in the course of this year. Environment Minister Thekla Walker (Greens) has given assurances for infrastructure in the new area, including roads and water supply. In addition, a plan will be developed to better protect residents from forest fires and floods in the future. The existing access rights for residents such as collecting berries and mushrooms are preserved.

Details for expanding the national park

Mayor Ruf calls for written commitments to the final evaluation from the State Environment Minister. The city of Baiersbronn, which counts around 15,000 inhabitants, is closely linked to the national park. The gap closure measure is intended to combine two sections of the currently around 100 square kilometer area. The prerequisite for the expansion is an area of ​​space between the forest cooperative Murg -Schifferchaft and the state forest. Here the country withdraws from the cooperative and sells shares to the remaining owners.

With the planned expansion, the Langenbach Valley, which has around 150 residents, is also integrated into the national park. Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) defended the expansion in the national park council, which will decide on the project on January 31. The Black Forest National Park, founded in 2014, is the only large protection area of ​​this kind in southwestern Germany and has strict rules for human interference in certain core areas.

Already at the end of October 2024 there was an agreement between the tips of the green-black government coalition, which drives the gap closure. Prime Minister Kretschmann was positive about progress, and Environment Minister Walker emphasized the opportunities for nature, tourism and region. On November 4, the national park council unanimously agreed to the agreement that the national park should grow from around 10,062 hectares to around 11,500 hectares. The exact process of the design will be coordinated with the affected municipalities, the national park administration and the ForstBW in the coming weeks in order to determine the exact limits. A draft is to be treated again in the national park council by the end of January 2025.