Wattersdorfer Moor in Weyarn: Criticism of "Natura 2000" area

Created: 08/19/2022, 17:12

By: Selina Benda

Government employee Wolfgang Hochhardt (left) presented the "Natura 2000" plan for the Weyarn protected area to those present.

© Benda

Weyarn – Property owners don't feel heard: This became clear at the round table on the management plan for the Wattersdorfer Moor FFH area in Weyarn.

Preserving and protecting important habitats as well as plant and animal species - that is the basis of the European biotope network "Natura 2000".

There are also areas worthy of protection on the Weyarn corridor.

A management plan by the government of Upper Bavaria will in future specify how the area is to be protected and preserved.

However, this project met with a lot of criticism at a round table at Seehamer See.

The basis for the so-called "Natura 2000" network are the Fauna-Flora-Habitat Directive (FFH-RL) and the Bird Protection Directive (VS-RL).

The government of Upper Bavaria is responsible for the 327-hectare FFH area "Wattersdorfer Moor" between the districts of Wattersdorf and Kleinseeham, which has now invited to a round table at Seehamer See.

The current status of the plans was presented there.

In addition to representatives of the local authorities, communities and nature conservation associations, the property owners were also invited.

Concept for Moosbach north of Wattersdorf

The farmers affected expressed considerable reservations about the management plan, because in addition to the specifications for mowing the litter meadows - which they already comply with - this also provides for other measures: For example, the farmers should comply with so-called buffer areas to the areas of life that are worth protecting if they fertilize their adjacent farmland, for example.

A separate concept is also to be developed, for example to dam or silt up the Moosbach north of Wattersdorf, as landscape planner Monika Bissinger explained.

The FFH protection area "Wattersdorfer Moor" in the municipality of Weyarn covers 327 hectares.

© Government of Upper Bavaria

The farmers expressed their concern that the backwater would mean that adjacent agricultural areas would be under water and could no longer be farmed.

"These areas form my livelihood and we as property owners are not included in the planning," criticized Georg Huber.

As Georg Grabmaier reported, the objections of those affected were probably not heard during the mapping of the area, which defines the legally binding nature of the authorities.

"We are enormously frustrated because everything is always being imposed on us - and then we have to live and work with the new circumstances," said the farmer angrily.

give impetus to implement measures

Government official Wolfgang Hochhardt repeatedly emphasized that it would not work without the cooperation of all those involved, including the farmers.

The management plan is only intended to give an impetus to implement measures.

Owners could do this voluntarily.

By the way, they don't have to do this for free, because they receive state subsidies for it.

However, they are subject to the ban on deterioration and must therefore continue to cultivate the areas in accordance with good professional practice in order to preserve and protect the habitats.

Since an agreement on this date was initially not in sight and many objections were raised, Hochhardt promised to schedule another inspection of the area with the property owners.

The management plan and the mapping are publicly available for four weeks on the website of the government of Upper Bavaria under "Wattersdorfer Moor - FFH area 8137-301 - Government of Upper Bavaria".

All objections must then be received in writing within this time frame so that they can possibly be incorporated.

For this measure, the Miesbach district chairman Josef Huber promised the affected farmers the support of the Bavarian Farmers' Association.