Be careful in the forest! Snow load endangers walkers in Remscheid

With the current snowfall, city forester Lukas Sieberth urgently warns against entering the forests in and around Remscheid. The high snow load on the trees can lead to dangerous situations as branches can break or entire trees can fall over. To ensure safety on the paths, Sieberth appeals to walkers' common sense and advises them to avoid dangerous areas.

Green areas such as the city park, where trees are heavily covered in snow, are particularly affected by the heavy amounts of snow. Wind and persistent snow could also increase the risk of snow breakage. Walkers should therefore be particularly attentive and look up regularly. Detours are advisable, especially if there are already branches on the ground. There are currently no specific indications of danger areas.

Forest care and precautions

City foresters are active throughout the city to assess the situation, but there is no need for a ban. The weather situation will continue to be monitored with a view to the upcoming weekend. The fire brigade in Remscheid has had numerous smaller operations in the last few days, including removing root balls that damaged roads. In addition to the fire department, the energy supply company EWR is also active to clear snow from lines and check dangers caused by fallen branches.

In addition to these current warnings, there is important information about cleaning up damaged wood after heavy snowfalls. For larger quantities of damaged wood, a calamity report should be made to the tax authorities in order to benefit from reduced tax rates on the wood proceeds. Before starting work, you should speak to the responsible forester in order to correctly assess the amount of damaged wood. The amount of damaged wood can be estimated relatively easily, for example using simple calculation methods that relate the duration of the inventory to the wood stocks, as described in the agricultural information.