More than 80 percent consider “binding rules of the game” to be necessary. “The forest is there for everyone,” said board spokesman Georg Schöppl on Monday, but fairness and consideration are important.
The forest has the greatest personal meaning to tank and switch off (67 percent), it said at a press conference in Vienna. It is also used as a “green lung” and oxygen storage (60 percent), used for outdoor movement (59 percent) and as a habitat for animals and plants and seen as important for biodiversity (58 percent). For almost half of the population, forests are important as a cool environment on heat days and as a CO2 memory in climate change.
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“Six out of ten Austrians stay in the forest several times a month, nine out of ten feel better after a stay in the forest,” said Schöppl. The most popular activities include walking or hiking (82 percent). Every second wants to recover (48 percent). Only around every sixth (16 percent) runs or trains there, 13 percent are on the road with mountain bikes or bicycles, six percent go on a ski tour or hike with snowshoes.
Clear rules for cyclists and dog owners
64 percent of the survey participants also have the feeling that more people are traveling in the forest, 27 percent are even very agreed here – around twice as many as 2021 with twelve percent. Around two thirds have the impression that other people stick to the rules of the game, although absolute approval decreased sharply (18 percent “voice very much about” versus 2021). Clear rules for cycling or mountain biking (70 percent) and for being on the road with dogs (68 percent) are considered particularly necessary.
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The use of forest for relaxation and leisure has increased subjectively and objectively since the Corona period, confirmed Schöppl. In addition to mutual consideration, the “unbundling” of the different activities is necessary: ”Mountain biking and walking on the same area is not really good.”
78 percent agree that the most important challenge is the climate crisis. 87 percent see the decisive role of species -rich forests. “We continue to work on the conversion of the forests to species-rich mixed forests that can cope with the climatic conditions and help us to deal with the climate crisis,” said Andreas Gruber, ÖBF board for forestry and nature conservation.
“Forest the future advisory board” will accompany “conversion”
The Federal Forest set up the “Wald of the Future Advisory Board” in the anniversary year. Specialists for climate, ecosystems, biodiversity and nature conservation should accompany the “conversion”. Rupert Seidl, who holds the chair for ecosystem dynamics and forest management at the Technical University of Munich, acts as chairman.
With 850,000 hectares, the federal forests are the largest natural area economist in the country: they take care of ten percent of the state area, including 74 of the larger lakes, and 15 percent of the forest area. The company operates economically in the business areas of forestry and woodwork, hunting and fishing, real estate, services and renewable energy. ÖBF AG is in the solo ownership of the Republic and employs 1,032 employees in 14 forest and national park companies and the management of Purkersdorf in the Wienerwald.
Source: Nachrichten
