During clearing in Freilassing: controversial habitat for endangered species

During clearing in Freilassing: controversial habitat for endangered species

A surprising and controversial situation has developed in Freilassing. Last week, a larger area was cleared overnight on the northern side of Matulusstrasse. Residents and environmentalists are alerted because the area of living space for numerous protected species, such as bats and rare plants, offered.

Erich Prechtl from the Bund Naturschutz expressed his dismay about the clearing and explained that a special company has worked on behalf of the property owner, the district office. "However, the workers could not provide any information why is being cleared here," reports Prechtl. Despite the earlier construction plans of a company from Bavarian Gmain, the property never changed the owner and is still in possession of the district, which was made possible by a special clause in the purchase contract. Only three larger trees stopped, while the majority of the ecologically valuable terrain were irretrievably lost.

Legal steps against the district office

On Thursday, Prechtl submitted an advertisement against the district office on behalf of the Bund Naturschutz. The reason: a violation of species protection, since the clearing of the habitat was considerably damaged. "The district office was aware of the plants and animals worth protecting, which at that time played a role in the 2020 construction plans," he explains. The advertisement has already been forwarded to the public prosecutor's office in Traunstein.

The clearing should no longer be undone, but one calls for a protective bidding for the area around the former hospital. Prechtl, who tries to put this area under protection since 2020, criticizes the repeated rejection by the district administrator, and states that he has already checked several times.

purpose of the clearing unclear

The reasons for the sudden clearing are so far unclear. Press requests to the district office and the city of Freilassing are still pending. There are rumors that the district office wants to use the space for new containers for refugees. Prechtl is skeptical and notes that electricity and water connections would also be necessary to set up containers. This was realized elsewhere, but it seems not very plausible here.

Currently, protection seekers in the Berchtesgadener Land are often housed in gyms, while in Salzburg several container villages remain unused due to a lack of demand. For detailed information on this incident and the associated legal steps, the environmental policy discussion has started critically, which is of great importance for the region.

For further insights into the situation and the associated legal questions, we refer to the extensive report on this topic on www.innsalzach24.de .