Styrian mountain and nature watch
The Steiermärkische Berg und Naturwacht is a corporation under public law which supports the authorities in the implementation of state law regulations for nature and landscape protection.
goals and tasks
- Educating the population about the need for nature conservation
- Maintaining designated protected areas to preserve and secure biodiversity
- Protection of nature as a habitat for people, animals and plants
- Supervision of state regulations for the protection of nature
- Support of the authorities in the implementation of nature conservation tasks
- Training: suitable persons to familiarize them with the legal provisions and to ensure their further training
Local area of action
The area of application is the entire region of Styria.
Material scope
The mountain and nature guard monitors the following state regulations for the protection of nature as an organ of public supervision:
- Styrian Nature Conservation Act
- Ordinance on the protection of wild plants and non-huntable animals
- Off-road vehicle law
- Law on freedom of movement in mountainous areas
- Natural Caves Act
organs
- Landtag
- State Board
- Country Manager
- Auditor
- District day
- District Manager
- Local Operations Manager
As a legal person, the Mountain and Nature Guard must use natural persons in order to fulfill their tasks. These "organs" of the legal person Steierm. Mountain and nature watch (state parliament, district council, state board, state manager, district manager, local operations manager, auditor) can only act within the scope of their responsibility on the basis of resolutions. They are not bound by the instructions of the competent administrative authority in their organ actions (e.g. buying uniforms), but all activities are subject to the authority's supervision.
After irregularities in the project accounting became known, the country manager resigned in January 2020.
In July 2020 Fritz Stockreiter (74) took over the country management. He was a biology teacher and director of the secondary school, as well as district manager of Liegen and responsible for training.
Water control
The first training took place as early as 1972 and shortly afterwards 50 new bodies of water bodies were sworn in. Today more than 240 water supervisory bodies are on duty. They regularly walk along the banks of streams, rivers and ponds, and monitor groundwater areas as well as water protection and conservation areas.
Snake-savvy organs
Since 2013, 63 mountain and nature guardians have trained to become snakes-savvy organs. If a queue is found in Styria, these are requested via the emergency number 130 (state warning center).