supported by EU/European Union, NÖ/State of Lower Austria and A/Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management

The EU programme for rural development offers the possibility of taking measures within the area of "Wilderness Dürrenstein“, which could not have been applied yet for budgetary reasons. These measures range from conserving the nature reserve to measures in line with PR. Within the next 5 years especially the quality of our programme of guided tours will be extended (e.g. by aquisition of minicams to record bird species when breeding and hatching, of additional information leaflets and by revised editions of the "WildnisNEWS“.

In the field of nature reserve management, work is done to conserve and improve the marshland „Leckermoos“. In the field of improving the infrastructure, repair work on huts and on a road has been carried out, which is necessary for game preserve management.

The project aims at:

1. Improved and efficient application of goals set to "Wilderness Dürrenstein“ in the field of nature reserve management and an integration of accompanying research projects, especially
   • the transformation of secondary spruce forests into habitat adapted, natural deciduous - or mixed forests;
   • the creation of protected areas free from neophytes;
   • the construction and conservation of natural stocks of game (natural game populations).
2. Area protection
3. Maintenance and quality improvement of visitor support services and PR
4. To guarantee acceptance and increase the level of fame of the region
5. To raise the level of awareness for nature and environmental problems.

Measures taken:

To implement these objectives the following measures will be put into practice:

1. An adequate game preserve management to safeguard silvicultural measures based on natural/local preconditions.
2. Adequate compensation for the loss of exploitation of the old stock of trees at the entrance to "Wilderness Dürrenstein“, buffering primary natural forests.
3. Conservation of the bog- and marshland-area „Leckermoos“ by e.g. clearing.
4. Presentation of trap trees or peeling off bark to prevent phytosanitary problems, especially those caused by Scolitidae – bark beetles.
5. Mechanical control of neophytes.
6. Maintenance of fences (repair and survey).
7. Accompanying research projects to examine effects on biodiversity (repeating recordings of the LIFE-project). Another field for the use of minicams!
8. Preperation and execution of guided tours in terms of an extended programme of guided tours
9. Production of information leaflets, - handouts a.o.
10. Editing and distribution of a revised newsletter "WildnisNEWS“ as a documentation of taken measures
11. Restructuring and upgrading the website.
12. Preservation and renovation of infrastructure within the area of "Wilderness Dürrenstein“ (adventure trail, logging road etc.).

Duration:

2008 to 2013