The city of eltmann wants to go new ways when it comes to producing wood chips for the city's combined heat and power plant. In its meeting on wednesday evening in the town hall, the town council addressed the proposal of the new town forester christian bartsch to successively plant energy forest in order to conserve the town forest. The combined heat and power plant is located in the "am hahn" development area.
The eltmann combined heat and power plant needs 5000 to 6000 cubic meters of wood chips per year, about half of which is supplied by the town's forest. This has not been a problem so far, because thinnings and young maintenance have yielded enough weak wood to produce the chips.
Reaching its limits in ten years
"But in ten years we will have reached our limits", the forester explained. In the meantime, the forest is in a state of maintenance that should no longer be thinned to this extent, bartsch emphasized, especially because the demand for firewood is continuing to rise. The forester explained to the city council that his declared goal was to increase the growth of the forest.
That's why christian bartsch proposed to deal with the topic of energy forests. Short-rotation plantations are what the experts call such "forests". Agricultural plains are reforested with fast-growing tree species, mostly poplars. Harvesting is possible after eight years.
For eltmann's needs, bartsch suggested planting about two hectares a year. There is enough urban land for this, and the plantation is not reforestation in the bureaucratic sense; the land remains agricultural land and can later be used again as a meadow or field.
The topic is to be dealt with in detail again in the fall in the forest and land committee, as is the topic of road construction. "We had to invest in the forest and field paths", reminded christian bartsch and showed some particularly heavy damage from the heavy rain around pentecost. "The city suffered a loss of around 20,000 euros, but it is of course understandable that the state's funds are going to the real flood regions", explained bartsch.
Plus generated
He also explained the forest management plan. A slight plus was generated in the first year of its operation in eltmann. The demand funds could be increased significantly. There are new contract conservation programs, for example to secure biotope trees, which add an annual requirement of 14,000 euros to the budget.
With regard to the situation following the landslide in dippach, bartsch explained that another inspection will take place at the beginning of august with all the specialist authorities. The upper nature conservation authority has already signaled that it is possible to cut down trees on the slope.
New trees were also planted in eltmann's city forest: almost 8,000 young trees, almost exclusively from the company's own forest. It is mainly the silver fir that is involved here. This tree species can cope with the shade in beech and oak forests and is intended to ensure that the city forest remains a mixed forest and that the proportion of hardwoods does not become too large. He also planted the rare species elsbeere and speierling, mainly on dry sites, said the new city forester.
Topics from robstadt
Other topics dealt with by the city council. In response to a question from alois hofmann, mayor michael ziegler explained that the new playground equipment for the playground in robstadt has been ordered. The new equipment costs 40,000 euros, which ziegler discussed with the local youth in two youth castle meetings.
Immediately after delivery in a few weeks, the devices were installed, announced the mayor.
The recklessness of many dog owners was addressed by city councilor werner lang. Not only is dog excrement causing problems, but a development is also creeping into the robstadt corridor that is causing trouble: "cars with bamberger license plates come, park on corridor paths that are actually closed to cars, let two or three dogs run around and drive away without worrying about what they leave behind", he paid long.
Second mayor hans-georg hafner called on people to report such cases with license plates to the city and to make themselves available as witnesses. "Then we will also issue notices without mercy", mayor michael ziegler explained. Recently, some dog owners had to pay for their misconduct. This is the only course of action, appeals go unheeded.