The border crossing at Bayrischzell is closed because of Corona. The forest owners lose a lifeline to sawmills in Austria - and are afraid of the bark beetle.
Bayrischzell - Time is running out for forest owners. The storms Bianca, Yulia and Sabine knocked over numerous trees in their forests within a few weeks in February. In May the bark beetle threatens to attack them. Until then, the forest farmers must have brought their wood to the sawmills. Or the beetle threatens to destroy their harvest.
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Coronavirus: Forest owners suffer from the closure of the Bayrischzell border
The corona virus is now cutting off an important lifeline for forest owners. Because the border crossing in the original valley near Bayrischzell was also closed to contain the virus, the 800 to 1000 meters of hardwood that they transported to Corona daily via sawmills in Austria remain mostly in the woods. "At the moment, however, every cubic meter counts," says Alexander Mayr, who is responsible for wood marketing at the Holzkirchen owners' association. The farmers suffered from low prices and the bark beetle will not postpone its season because of Corona. "It's still possible. But we need a solution by mid-April at the latest. ”
Alexander Mayr, Head of Wood Marketing AELF Holzkirchen
Because forest owners have hardly any alternatives to the transition at Bayrischzell. Some sawmills could still use the wood from the Oberland well, says Mayr. The carriers were also ready. The timber suppliers could not simply take a detour through another crossing. This increases the cost of transport and makes the Miesbacher wood uneconomical for Austrian sawmills.
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"This is completely understandable," confirms Christian Webert, Head of Forestry at the Office for Food, Agriculture and Forestry in Holzkirchen. "Every kilometer costs money."
German sawmills are also not a solution, says Mayr. The forest owners mainly supplied long timber from 20 to 80 meters to them. Most of the short wood sold by four to five meters was sold to Austria. That is why the border crossing at Bayrischzell is so important for sawmills near the border.
Mayr fundamentally supports its closings. "We don't want to start the revolution," he says. But he hopes for a special rule for delivery traffic. The border crossing could open for transport every day from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., he suggests. "It is a cry for help. We want to point out the difficult situation of the forest farmers so that something changes. "
Mayr has already found a supporter. President of the Landtag and member of the constituency Ilse Aigner has forwarded his request to the interior ministries of the Free State and the federal government. She says the border closures serve to protect the health of the population. "However, we should check to what extent temporary openings for urgently needed transports make sense and are practical."
Mayr welcomes the support. He hopes that it will bring results quickly. For the time being, the forest owners can only wait and see what the crisis teams decide. "Everything is changing very quickly at the moment," says Webert. "We totally depend on how the situation develops with Corona."
