During construction work

Green action against felled trees

Green protest: Action with street chalk and "party slips" in Forchtenstein.(Bild: Reinhard Judt)

The Green Party protested against felled trees in Forchtenstein and pointed out the lack of protection for the shade-giving trees. The municipality, however, reacted with surprise to the action.

Yesterday evening, the Green Party used colorful street chalk and "party slips" to draw attention to the lack of greenery in the municipality of Forchtenstein. In the course of construction work along the main road, some trees had been felled. Citizens had pointed out that these shade providers were now missing, explained regional spokesperson Anja Haider-Wallner. The municipality also missed the opportunity to plant additional trees as part of the redesign.

Little interest in extending protection
The federal government would even have reimbursed half of the costs, says Haider-Wallner. Unfortunately, tree protection is not as important in Burgenland as it is in some other federal states. Corresponding motions by the Greens in the provincial parliament had been shot down by the SPÖ, according to Wolfgang Spitzmüller, member of the provincial parliament.

Surprise at the municipality
Forchtenstein's mayor Rüdiger Knaak, on the other hand, is surprised by the action. In recent years, only a few trees that were in poor condition had been removed. At the same time, 60 new trees were planted. Knaak believes that the current rules for tree protection are sufficient. The state also refers to the safety aspect, for example with regard to falling branches.