Renaturation

Burgenland relies on beavers instead of excavators

Deputy Governor Anja Haider-Wallner (Greens) asked Silvia Strauch about the possibilities for a fair balance of interests with regard to the beaver.(Bild: Reinhard Judt)

The new government program provides for a series of measures to improve nature and environmental protection. The master builder of nature also plays an important role.

They are cute and yet cause a lot of headaches: We are talking about beavers. In Burgenland, some municipalities are not so happy with these cute rodents these days. The master builders of nature are also currently making headlines in the Czech Republic. Unimpressed by approval procedures, a beaver family has built a dam there, creating a marshland and thus realizing an already planned renaturation project for free, which would have been budgeted at 1.2 million euros.

Beaver management in Burgenland since 2015 
It is precisely this area of conflict between nature conservation and human interests that is the focus of the beaver management project commissioned by the Burgenland Nature Conservation Association in 2015. Around 650 beavers are currently native to Burgenland; around 1850, the animals were almost completely extinct. "After being absent for over 100 years, beavers have been reclaiming Burgenland's water systems since the beginning of the millennium and are demanding more space," says Silvia Strauch from the Nature Conservation Association.

According to beaver management, the beaver population in Burgenland has declined following the recent floods last year.(Bild: Christian Schulter)

Targeted measures are being taken to protect the animals while promoting flood protection and preserving agricultural land, emphasizes Deputy Governor Anja Haider-Wallner (Greens) with reference to the new government programme, which provides for "improved beaver management" in order to minimize conflicts between human use and nature conservation.

Wetland protection and riparian areas 
"It's mainly about wetland protection and the acquisition of riparian areas to provide a home for the beaver," emphasizes Strauch. Targeted renaturation measures are also intended to make a contribution to flood protection. "Here too, the main aim is to reconcile the protection of nature with the interests of us humans. Beaver management already shows very well how this is possible," said the Deputy Governor.