Management plan Witterschutt and Sliding

The Ennstal between Gesäuse Entrance and Hieflau, as well as the intermediate route to Johnsbach, have always been exposed to the forces of nature to a very large extent. In addition to the winter avalanches, these are mainly the mass movements in the form of rockfall, rock falls, rubble streams, Muren and wild streams. While the protective effect of forests can be influenced by careful and sustainable management and use in sensitive locations, the main focus of mass movements is on the immediate protection of infrastructure. In the national park, it mainly affects traffic routes and isolated buildings. The theme is sensitive in the national park because, on the one hand, the safety and preservation of mobility is to be ensured, but on the other hand, the defining location factors climate, wild stream, geology and geomorphology should develop undisturbed. In particular, this applies to the Johnsbach, whose lower run was revitalised with the LIFE program Gesäuse and which is dependent on the functioning sliding gear for a near-natural flow dynamics. Since the former management of Witterschutt and Sliding was partly outsourced to raw material mining companies, but mining had to be terminated with the IUCN recognition of the National Park, affordable replacement strategies were to be developed. These strategies and the division of tasks are documented in the present management plan. The management plan must be submitted to and decided by the National Park General Assembly after its completion. Subsequently, a reference to the NATURA 2000 Regulation for the Ennstaler Alpen Gesäuse area, or in the National Park Plan, must also be made.