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meadows

About 38,000 people call the rescue of the last flower meadows.

More than 38,000 people have the petition by Pro Natura and the Swiss bird conservation SVS / BirdLife Switzerland to rescue the past flower fields signed. It was on 3 November in Bern handed over to the Federal Chancellery. The signatories have asked the Federal Council, the decrease in grazing dry pasture and (TWW) to stop at. In the past 60 years, roughly 90 percent of these very species-rich meadows have disappeared.

The meadows of Switzerland are a typical feature of the Swiss landscape and have an enormous ecological and tourist value. About 40 percent of all plant species and 50 percent of all animal species in Switzerland before coming to this colorful meadows, including many red-listed species.

disappearance of the last flower meadows, we deprive these animals and plants their habitat. In the last 60 years, roughly 90 percent of the dry meadows and pastures (TWW) was lost because the areas are managed intensively in the valley overgrown with bushes or at higher altitudes.

people want colors in the meadows

The petition to save the last flower meadows of Switzerland signed over 38,000 people - in just four months collection period. "This is a tremendous number of people to politicians to finally seal the protection of these valuable meadows," Otto Sieber said at the handing over of signatures in Bern. Specifically, the petition calls by Pro Natura and the Swiss Birds SVS / BirdLife Switzerland, that the promised since 2004 Ordinance to protect the dry grasslands and the inventory immediately set in place and the financial resources for implementation are provided. "We expect that the Federal Council finally takes seriously his old promise," summarized Werner Müller, CEO of the SVS, the demand of about 38,000 people. Time is short: just since the beginning of the inventory of the dry meadows and pastures in 1994 (see box), an estimated 10 to 20 percent of the valuable meadows disappeared.

The unfinished legal protection of meadows

grazing the dry pastures and (TWW) are among the top five nationally important habitat types, along with the high moors, Fens, wetlands and amphibian breeding areas. These are defined in the Natural and Cultural Heritage Protection Act since 1966. The legal protection of the TWW but lags behind the other four protected habitat types. The still unfinished story of the legal protection of TWW:

1994: The federal government launched the project of national importance TWW.

1994 - 2004: In all the cantons were mapped TWW, it was an inventory of 22'941 hectares TWW (around 3,000 objects).

2004: Federal Regulation promises to protect the TWW.

2007: The regulation will be sent for consultation and adjusted with all stakeholders.

2009: Still, the Federal Council and the inventory Regulation set not in force. Pro Natura and the Swiss Birds SVS / BirdLife Switzerland, therefore, the launch petition to save the last flower meadows.

About 38,000 people signed the petition to save the last of wildflowers and have asked the Federal Council that the regulation is to protect the WDW and the inventory finally put into effect and that the funds provided for the implementation of the TWW protection available be.

www.pronatura.ch /
dry meadows www.birdlife.ch / petition