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mag er hö Stutz - Stuzberg biotope management in the framework of the landscape development concept in the market town of Frastanz

Brief description

The aim of the "mag er hö" project is implementation of the landscape development concept for Stutz - Stutzberg so as to preserve the diversity of this biotope. Co-operation between landowners, farmers and the local authority is essential in order to preserve the unique character of this major biotope and stop the annual loss of 0.7ha of open land (rough pasture and litter meadow) in the Stutzberg area.
Landscape changes! The changes can be fast and uncontrolled; they also occur imperceptibly. Steering measures are often not effective until it is too late. Because the assets of the natural environment and landscape are unique and defy reproduction, and because the structures have developed over the centuries and thus form part of the local identity, Frastanz has decided to develop a landscape development concept as an instrument for steering the increasingly rapid process of landscape change and landscape consumption. The central element in the project is to develop a concept for the whole area of the municipality for the long-term preservation of landscape diversity.

LEK © www.frastanz.at
Fläche © www.frastanz.at
Stutzberg © www.frastanz.at

Aims

On the basis of intensive collaboration between the local authority, landowners and farmers, management models are to be developed to preserve the diversity of the landscape, especially in the area of Stutz - Stutzberg. The local authority serves as a link and clearing house between the individual landowners and the small number of remaining farmers so as to achieve the following goals:
o Long-term preservation and amelioration of a diverse flora and fauna in the sedge meadows and unfertilised meadows by
o maintaining their litter meadow and rough pasture character, with no intensive use
o regularly mowing areas that are currently unused and finding users for them
o restoring an interconnected cultural landscape that is as open as possible
o removing large groups of trees and bushes
o pushing back the forest margin
o creating ecological corridors
o preserving the special elements of the cultural landscape, e.g. hay barns, solitary rocks
o maintaining near-natural channels and ditches
o protecting attractive solitary trees

Realization

On the basis of the catalogue of measures agreed in the framework of the Dynalp project for a landscape development concept for Frastanz, contact has been made with the individual landowners and implementation of the defined land management activities discussed. Activity sheets serve as contract documents listing the individual measures to be taken. With the help of long-term unemployed recruited through the ABF project (forest management), the various measures are to be implemented and adequate management provided for those areas that are not in use today and are threatened by woody plant encroachment. The rehabilitated sites will then be offered to farmers in the region. In view of the diversity of species in the Stutzberg area, a wild flower trail will be created through the rough pasture and litter meadows. The old sheds can be used to display agricultural implements from earlier periods. At the chemists (Wiesenapotheke) there will be an exhibition of medicinal herbs.

Involved

Frastanz local authority as the project leader plus farmers, local landowners and all interested citizens. The following organisations and projects are also integrated in the project:
1) ABF Arbeitsinitiative Bezirk Feldkirch (Feldkirch Labour Office Initiative)
2) Project Heugabel (Townspeople Helping Farmers)
3) Vorarlberg regional authority (update for the biotope inventory)
4) DI Georg Rauch and Mag. Georg Amann Spatial Planning Office (expertise and counselling)
5) Nature Protection Department at the Feldkirch district authority (counselling)

Projectterm

2003 - 2006

Financing

Subsidy from DYNALP² (in euros): 20,000
Own funds, funds from financial backers (in euros): 64'700
1. Financial backing: Nature Protection Fund at the Vorarlberg regional authority € 40,000; Frastanz local authority € 20,000; Karl Mayer Foundation € 4,700; MAWA Foundation Dynalp 2 € 20,000

Contact person

Marktgemeinde Frastanz
Markus Burtscher
Sägenplatz 1
AT- 6820 Frastanz
Telephone: +43 5522 5153422
Fax: +43 5522 515346
E-Mail: markus.burtscher@frastanz.at
Internet: http://www.frastanz.at

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