Bavarian Mountain Forest Initiative

The ‘Mountain Forest Initiative’ (Bergwaldoffensive) was launched in 2008 by the Bavarian Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Forestry in Germany to restore the protective function of the vulnerable alpine forest in light of climate change. To ensure engagement, the initiative targets local forest agencies to establish collaborative arrangements with various stakeholders to facilitate measures for adaptation to climate change in private forests. Bavaria's Mountain Forest Initiative aims to facilitate adaptation to climate change through silvicultural measures, rejuvenation of tree stands, and re-creation of protective areas in privately-owned and community forests.

Overview

Type of instrument:

Legislative, regulatory and strategic instruments›Dedicated strategy, plan, or law

Challenges addressed

Ecologic connectivity
Green space management (e.g. accessibility)

Consideration of nature-based solutions:

The implemented nature-based solutions aim to address climate hazards/natural disasters and the precautionary adaptation of the Bavarian forest ecosystem in the context of climate change. While the Bavaria's alpine forest cover is about 250,000 ha, the initiative addresses around 43% of these forests - with a focus on areas with a particularly high risk potential.

Targeted (peri-)urban areas:

Parks and (semi)natural urban green areas

Green areas for water management

Good practice characteristics:

Effective

Sustainable in the long-term

Locally appropriate

Potential to be replicated / upscaled

Innovative

Governance

Government body/bodies

Initiating body:

Bavarian Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Forestry

Instrument design:

Details about how the instrument was designed:

To prepare for the implementation of the initiative, the Bavarian Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Forestry initiated a working group with participants of the forest offices in the alpine region. The working group was expected to (a) provide recommendations for the practical implementation of (i.e., the guidelines for) the Mountain Forest Initiative, and (b) make suggestions on how to adjust forest subsidies according to the intentions of the Mountain Forest Initiative. Whereas the guidelines were decided upon in 2008, changes in regulations for related forest subsidies have been published in 2010.

Instrument implementation:

Type of involvement:

To achieve the goals of the initiative and to create a general sense of ownership in the process, the Mountain Forest Initiative supported the involvement of different stakeholders at the local level (e.g., private forest owners, land-use related authorities, hunters, nature conservationists, and tourism associations). The guidelines provided in the early stage of the implementation encouraged the establishment of multi-stakeholder-based mountain forest steering committees and project-based forums to advise forest agencies in the definition, selection and implementation of measures. Through these guidelines and other given incentives and formats (e.g. targeted funding options, round tables), interest accommodation, the exchange of views and perspectives, and the creation of ownership and acceptance were taking shape. Round tables, for instance, were held to discuss the relocation of a hiking trail in order to better protect a young forest, or large-scale measures such as the use of helicopters for logging.

Type of non-governmental actors involved:

Co-design of NBS, implemented by government

Implementation of NBS (e.g. with government funds)

Targeted actors:

Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)

Private: household, real estate developer, business , financial

Financing

Sources of funding:

Public regional budget

EU funds

Budget:

Above 10 000 000€

Details about instrument financing:

Under Bavarian State Government's Climate Programme 2020, €7.5 million were made available for protection measures in mountain forests until 2011. With the status of 2019, the State of Bavaria was spending a total of €18 million on this initiative for forest conversion. They were primarily used to finance measures in private and corporate forests.

Monitoring, evaluation and impacts

Did an evaluation take place?:

Yes

Performance evaluation of stakeholder participation is institutionalized in the Bavarian Forest Ministry through the creation of a new role and its assignment with new staff. Moreover, the ministry commissioned a study in 2012 which built on the Mountain Forest Initiative, and sought to establish and mainstream ‘Participation as a communicative strategy' in the forest administration.

Achieved outcomes and impacts:

The initiative led to strengthened capacity to address climate hazards/natural disasters via water management and blue areas via the increased protection against flooding, green space and habitat management as well as to an increased number of protection area and green spaces. The initiative also targets urban forest cover. As one example, hunting in Immenstadt's municipal forest (1000 ha) has been carried out has been self-managed since 2013. Other outcomes include, inter alia, 170 km of forest paths that have been built in 48 project areas in a nature-compatible manner.

Success factors and lessons learned:

According to Bavarian government officials, the success of the mountain forest offensive is due to the intensive involvement of all local interest groups. These include forest owners, alpine farmers, hunters, local authorities and administrations, and even the business community. Their involvement and sense of ownership was supported by various guidelines in the early stage of the implementation, multi-stakeholder-based mountain forest steering committees, project-based forums and round tables. Such round tables, for instance, included discussions on the relocation of a hiking trail in order to better protect a young forest, or large-scale measures such as the use of helicopters for logging. These targeted and well-established exchange formats were key to the success of the initiative. the The Bavarian Forestry Minister stated in 2019 "Through close and trusting cooperation, it has been possible to develop locally appropriate strategies for the protection of mountain forests and to implement them quickly". Previously, such projects had often failed due to small-scale ownership structures, difficult soil conditions, unclear boundaries and poor development. Therefore, the mountain forest initiative will remain a focus of Bavarian forestry policy in the future.

Sources and further information

References

List of references:

Böhling, K. and Arzberger, M.B., 2014. New modes of governance in Bavaria's alpine forests: the ‘Mountain Forest Initiative’at work. Forest policy and economics, 49, pp.43-50. Available at: https://mediatum.ub.tum.de/doc/1280819/file.pdf (Accessed: 30 August 2022).

Bayrischer Rundfunk (2018). Zehn Jahre Bergwaldoffensive: Ministerin zieht positive Bilanz. Available at: https://www.br.de/nachrichten/bayern/zehn-jahre-bergwaldoffensive-ministerin-zieht-positive-bilanz,QviAM8W (Accessed: 30 August 2022).

Bergwaldoffensive (2022). Die Bergwald - Offensive Schutz für unsere Bergwälder im bayerischen Alpenraum. Available at: https://bergwald-offensive.de/ (Accessed: 30 August 2022).

Forst Praxis (2018). Zehn Jahre Bergwaldoffensive: Eine Zwischenbilanz. Available at: https://www.forstpraxis.de/zehn-jahre-bergwaldoffensive-ministerin-kaniber-zog-zwischenbilanz/ (Accessed: 30 August 2022).

Photos

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