English

From July 2013 till June 2019, the forestry operation at Inneres Salzkammergut has been implementing the LIFE+ project "Natural woodlands, bogs and habitat network in Ausseerland", which was funded by the European Union.  The focus is on active habitat design and networking for the protection of natural resources. More than 5.7 million euros have been invested to improve the habitants of endangered species that need protecting. Half this amount was provided by the European Union using LIFE+ funds. The other half was funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Regions and Tourism (BMLRT), the province of Styria and the Austrian Federal Forests, which managed and implemented the project.Over six years runtime management plans were generated, specific measures and monitoring were implemented, as well as public relations work. The aim was to improve the Natura 2000 sites and to gain new knowledge about the diversity of species.

The final report of the project with all it's objectives and measures can be found here.

“We are Betty Bullhead, William Wood-Grouse, Theresa Toad and Stanislaus Stone-Crayfish. We all live in the Ausseer region where we feel very much at home. Almost no other region of Austria has as many different habitats such as moors, lakes, streams, mountains and forests in such a small area. As a result, this region is a biodiversity hotspot and as such enjoys protected status. There are a total of five Natura 2000 sites here. Natura 2000 is a network of protected habitats, which enjoys special status not just in Austria but throughout Europe. The aim of these European protected areas is to ensure the survival of many rare and valuable habitats as well as individual species of flora and fauna, including us!”