PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Bisected by the boundary between the two Austrian Regions (Länder) Styria and Carinthia, Hörfeld is a natural oasis of a quality rarely encountered in today's Alpine valleys, which are overwhelmingly intensively exploited. It is a long, 145 ha mosaic of calcareous fens, bog woodland, transition mires and quaking bogs, remnants of alder and ash forest, humid tall-herb vegetation and fringing Molinia meadows. This damp wilderness, which startles visitors to the narrow Görtschitz valley, evolved out of a post-glacial lake which slowly terrestrialized to a massive eight-metre thick bed of peat cut by brooks, pools and "Quelltöpfen", curious wells up to 3 metres deep filled with water. This complex structure provides a habitat for many rare plants and animals: among others, no less than 125 bird species (30 listed on Annex I of the Birds Directive) and 460 butterfly species occur. In the past there were plans to drain the mire or to build a dam to generate hydro-electric power, until it was made a protected nature reserve in 1984 in Carinthia and 1987 in Styria.
OBJECTIVES
Carinthia and Styria decided to take joint action to preserve the Hörfeld wetland complex. The actual implementation would be the responsibility of a small, local NGO (the Naturschutzverein Hörfeld-Moor). From 1994 onwards, work was carried out for a management plan which was completed at the beginning of 1997. With LIFE support, the following selected objectives of the plan would be implemented: afforestation of parts of the mire as a result of succession would be counteracted; intensification of land use would be prevented by land purchase (c. 35 ha) and management contracts; valuable habitat structures would be preserved and improved, for instance by creating ponds and renaturalising brooks; spruce plantations would be removed to allow indigenous trees to return; meadows would be cleared of shrubbery and intensively used pastures fenced off; PR-work targeted at raising local awareness would be undertaken.
RESULTS
This project, whose beneficiary is a small NGO (the Naturschutzverein Hörfeld-Moor) chaired by a local mayor and representing local people, achieved its main objectives. • In terms of land purchased, 34.2 ha were purchased with LIFE-Nature funding = 25.6% of the total pSCI area. With 8.7 ha bought parallel to LIFE, this means 72% of the site was now owned by conservation bodies, thereby making site management easier. The beneficiary made an investigation of what landowners did with the money they received from the sales, and discovered that they reinvested to improve their farms or local business ventures, or paid off debts. Either way, the LIFE funds helped to strengthen the local socio-economic fabric. • Compensation payments for non-use of natural forests (20 year contract) were paid – 2.35 ha grey alder wood was thus secured • Several spruce plantations (3.4 ha) were removed from the site; contracts were made to ensure that the remaining ones (5.1 ha) would be removed within the 4 years that followed the termination of the project • A shallow pond of 0.4 ha was excavated on the location of a cleared spruce plantation to create an attractive feeding and staging area for migrating bird species. • Removal of shrubbery (3.6 ha), flailing (6.2 ha of abandoned and overgrown meadow), cleaning of ditches choked with vegetation (420 metres) and follow-up mowing of cleared sections, helped to prepare recurring mowing management of the wet meadows. It has led to an increase of the area of manageable meadows which are to develop into species-rich wet grassland (with agri-environmental support). • Smaller species-specific measures were carried out during the project and some already showed results within the project period ( e.g. colonisation of new ponds by the yellow-bellied toad (Bombina variegata), increased breeding of the dipper (Cinclus cinclus) on site; release of Phoxinus phoxinus fish in the deep springs of the mire) • A monitoring system was set up to assess the impact of the LIFE-Nature measures carried out, on vegetation and insect groups; • Numerous public awareness measures contributed to an increase in the local, regional and national popularity of the site. Media coverage was good and an information event was organised for the local inhabitants, as well as regular excursions, a newsletter and a folder. • There was exchange of experience with other LIFE-Nature projects and a scientific workshop on mire management was organised and hosted by the project. Land purchase, removal of spruce and long-term lease contributed to an increase in the secured area of riparian grey alder woods (priority Annex I habitat). Removal of spruce and shrubbery contributed to an increase in the area of open or semi-open habitats on the Hörfeld Moor. Yet, as it has been the case with other Austrian and German LIFE Nature projects, a more radical restoration of open habitats within this project has been limited by certain prescriptions within the national forestry law, which act as an important brake for deforestation measures even if these are done inside of Natura 2000 areas and have an undoubted conservation benefit. The measures carried out within this project are foreseen to have a positive effect on a series of species and habitats, including Annex I habitats (grey alder forests, species-rich wet Polygono-Trisetion meadows..), Annex II species (Bombina variegata) and Annex I birds of the Birds Directive (Bonasa bonasia, Dryocopus martius, Ciconia nigra). Altogether this project had a good demonstration effect due to the fact that the beneficiary as a local NGO has good local contacts. It has often been cited in Austria as a positive example for Natura 2000 designation and LIFE-Nature implementation, in publications by conservation NGOs and the Federal Ministry of Environment. The investments made in the visitor infrastructure of the site by LIFE (9 information panels, a nature trail, a small visitor centre) were expected to attract tourists and so to contribute to the local economy. LEADER was being used to further develop nature-based tourism and to employ a site warden. The district in which the project is located is economically depressed (traditionally a mining area, converting itself to tourism to attempt to generate new revenue). Local use of EU funds (LIFE, LEADER, 2078/92) and integrating them amongst each other provides an example of good synergy between EU programmes.