Context
The market town of Fels am Wagram in Austria has undertaken a significant initiative to preserve its valuable grassland areas. This project is part of a broader effort to promote sustainable development and environmental protection within the municipality. The project is being spearheaded by the local council, which has played a key role in its implementation.
Objectives
The primary objective of the project is to safeguard ecologically sensitive grasslands from development projects requiring building permits. This includes structures such as horse barns and large agricultural buildings that could potentially disrupt the landscape and harm valuable forests and vineyards. Ultimately, the project aims to strike a balance between protecting natural areas and allowing for agricultural practices.
Implementation
The project involved a complex process of redesignating a large portion of the municipal area (over 82 per cent) as ‘grassland-free-landscape protection areas’ within the local zoning plan. This entailed intensive collaboration during the rezoning process to establish essential buffer zones around existing developed areas. These buffer zones allow for ‘ordinary’ agricultural activities such as farming and forestry, provided a positive agricultural technical report is obtained. The zoning plan is accessible on the municipal map website for public reference.
The project faced challenges in ensuring the legal defensibility of the zoning plan. However, Fels am Wagram’s commitment to this initiative has been recognised through awards such as the ÖGUT environmental award and the ‘Golden Hedgehog’ (‘nature in the garden’) award. These acknowledgements highlight the municipality’s leadership in sustainable development at the regional level. The project’s long-term impact lies in its influence on future development plans. The designated protected areas will make it significantly more difficult to obtain approval for new building projects on these lands, ensuring the continued preservation of Fels am Wagram’s green spaces.