Zug residents vote on new forest law
Published: Monday, Oct 28th 2024, 10:40
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The people of Zug will vote on a new forest law on November 24. The IG Mountainbike and fellow campaigners had launched a referendum against the reform passed by parliament.
Climate change, the protection and preservation of biodiversity and the use of the forest by the population pose challenges for the forest. The cantonal parliament found that Zug can meet these diverse requirements with the new forest law and approved the revised forest law in January of this year.
The aim of the reform is to better protect animals and plants in the forest from people's leisure activities. A ban on flying drones in the forest is therefore to apply and dogs will have to be kept on a lead during the closed season.
Bikers in Zug are also affected by the new law. Cycling in the forest will still be possible, but only on forest roads and no longer on forest paths. Biking is also permitted on bike routes defined in the structure plan.
Unclear route network
There was resistance to the latter. IG Mountainbike, together with fellow campaigners, submitted around 2,800 signatures in a referendum against the revised Forest Act, meaning that the people will have to decide on the Forest Act at the ballot box on November 24.
The interest group justified the referendum by stating that the bike route network had not yet been defined in the structure plan. A satisfactory network of routes should first be defined before the Forest Act is passed. Otherwise it would be "buying a pig in a poke", according to the Zug bikers.
IG Mountainbike also argues that the planned bike routes are unattractive and force bikers to travel by car to neighboring cantons. This would lead to increased traffic congestion and harm the environment.
The Zug government is convinced by the new forest law. The concerns of the various stakeholder groups and forest owners have been taken on board, according to a press release from the cantonal councillor responsible, Andreas Hostettler (center).
Despite differing needs, it has been possible to preserve and even strengthen the forest as a natural habitat. In addition, the new Forest Act now regulates the monitoring, treatment and destruction of harmful organisms and the management of the risk of forest fires.
©Keystone/SDA
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