Wald und Recht (Essay)

Forest and Law (essay) The forests of Switzerland are afforded special legal protection. Since 1902, the year in which the first piece of forestry legislation was enacted, Swiss forestry law is governed by the principle of conservation and the interdiction to clear forest land. Hence, during the 20th century Swiss forests were able to recover from past exploitation as well as to remain unscathed, at least in the main. Swiss forest protection is a success story. Recent developments have, however, given cause for concern. The fact that the ban on building outside of building zones has been considerably watered down during the last fifteen years – an end to this trend is unfortunately not yet in sight – could, before long, have a substantial bearing on the forests. Indeed, the Swiss legislator recently amended the Forest Act of 1991, and its next amendment is already in the pipeline. The politics of unsustainable settlement expansion are doing enough damage to the Swiss landscape as it is. We must be vigilant in order to ensure that our forests do not become their next victim.