Status: 25/09/2023, 18:03 p.m.
By: Martin Schullerus
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Participants of the rally for forest protection and against gravel mining in the Lochhamer Schlag, here with (front from left) the two members of the state parliament of the Greens Christian Hierneis (Bund Naturschutz) and Florian Siekmann, Malwina Andrassy (Bund Naturschutz Würmtal-Nord), Martin Bauhof (Die Linke), Tobias Ruff (ÖDP state chairman), Herbert Stepp (Grünzug-Netzwerk Würmtal) and Matthias Stadler (CSU city councillor). © Michael Schönwälder
Around 400 citizens from Großhadern, Pasing and the Würmtal visited a rally against the planned gravel mining in the Lochhamer Schlag on Sunday. Several environmental protection groups had invited to the protest, including the Grünzug-Netzwerk Würmtal and the Würmtal local group of the Bund Naturschutz.
Gräfelfing – "Forest preservation instead of gravel mining in the Lochhamer Schlag" – this slogan stood above the meeting, which, according to the organizers, had shown that the citizens "do not allow their local recreation area to be dug up on their doorstep so easily". As reported, the Gräfelfinger company Glück has applied for an area of 11.4 hectares to be successively gravelled out in the Lochhamer Schlag - including simultaneous reforestation with higher-quality, climate-resistant forest.
According to Managing Director Markus Wahl, the company urgently needs supplies of raw materials, otherwise there is a threat of short-time work and hundreds of jobs are at risk. At the same time, many construction projects in the Würm Valley would also need gravel for concrete, which would otherwise have to be brought in from far away (we reported).
Opponents of gravel mining are now drawing hope from a recent decision by the Administrative Court, which found that a gravel extraction permit for the Planegg Douglas fir grove had been "presumably unlawful" and stopped it. "Now, the differences between the two locations are not that great. In both cases, it is a ban forest and a climate protection forest. The Lochhamer Schlag is also a regional green corridor and recreational forest of the highest category," says a press release from the rally organizers led by Malwina Andrassy from the Bund Naturschutz.
And Green Corridor Network Chairman Herbert Stepp explained: "If the Douglas fir grove must not be excavated, then the Lochhamer Schlag certainly not. The district office should immediately reject the application."
Of course, it was "somewhat unfortunate" that clearing and gravel mining would take place in Gräfelfing, so that the district office would be responsible for the permit, while the main victims would live in Hadern and Blumenau – behind the city limits, according to Andrassy. Their influence is thus greatly reduced.
Representatives of several parties spoke out against gravel mining in the Lochhamer Schlag. Bavaria's Minister of Justice Georg Eisenreich (CSU), member of the state parliament for Munich-Hadern, was quoted at the rally by Matthias Stadler (CSU) as saying: "The Lochhamer Schlag is an important habitat for humans and animals – and it should stay that way. The CSU Hadern is in favour of preserving the Lochhamer Schlag as a forest and as an important local recreation area." Similar statements came from politicians from the Greens, the ÖDP and the Left Party.
