DAV Criticises Elimination Of Fellhorn / Scheidtobelbahn Environmental Impact Assessment & Demands Legal Improvements.

German Alpine Club (DAV) criticizes the elimination of the Fellhorn / Scheidtobelbahn environmental impact assessment and demands legal improvements.

They say "At Fellhorn in the Allgäu region, the old Scheidtobel cable car is to be replaced by a modern 6-seater chairlift. This project will bring into effect for the first time the changes introduced by the Third Modernization Act: the environmental impact assessment (EIA) is no longer required – nor is the official involvement of nature conservation associations.

The planned Scheidtobel cable car in the Allgäu region, according to the German Alpine Club (DAV), illustrates the problematic effects of the Third Modernization Act on nature conservation in the Bavarian Alps. Although the cable car route runs through a nature reserve, a Flora-Fauna-Habitat (FFH) area, and a Special Protection Area (SPA) for birds, the previously mandatory environmental impact assessment (EIA) is waived for the new cable car. The decisive factor is the newly formulated length criterion: cable cars in sensitive areas with a total length of less than 1.5 kilometers are no longer subject to EIA requirements. The planned Scheidtobel cable car is 1.43 kilometers long – and thus just below the new limit.

“ It is incomprehensible that the length of a cable car determines whether its impact on plants, animals, habitats, and water resources needs to be assessed. Especially in sensitive natural areas, we need thorough assessments and genuine involvement of conservation organizations. If these procedures are now eliminated, it weakens Alpine protection and opens the door to flawed planning. ” – Steffen Reich, Head of Nature Conservation at the German Alpine Club

Without an environmental impact assessment (EIA), the mandatory involvement of nature conservation associations is also eliminated. This deprives planning procedures of an important technical and balancing element. In many cases, this has allowed for the reduction of interventions or the discovery of more environmentally friendly alternatives. For Steffen Reich, therefore, it is clear: “The changes brought about by the Third Modernization Act must be reversed or improved.”

The German Alpine Club (DAV) also views the legislative amendment critically in light of climate change. Ski resorts at particularly low altitudes face structural challenges such as shorter winter seasons and increasing water requirements for snowmaking systems. According to the Alpine Club, investments should therefore be directed more towards diverse, environmentally friendly year-round activities – not towards expanding or modernizing snowmaking and lift infrastructure."