The efforts made for over 30 years in the field of nature and landscape protection have made it possible to slow down the loss of biodiversity but not to reverse the trend. To achieve a functional and resilient biodiversity throughout the cantonal territory, a higher order planning is necessary: this is the objective of the implementation of an ecological infrastructure (IE).
The principle is to make available to the biodiversity of sufficient surfaces and distributed over the whole in territory so that it can be functional. The implementation of the EI, provided in stages and in the long term, in principle follows the following three main axes:
- Preserve the existing : protect what must be by using current processes;
- Improve and maintain environments : improve the ecological quality of existing areas by targeted measures;
- Complete surfaces : fill the remaining gaps by the designation of new elements and create new environments.
The planning of the EI in the canton of Friborg responds to an obligation of the Confederation given within the framework of the Nature 2020-2024 and is one of the main objectives of the biodiversity cantonal strategy adopted by the Grand Council in 2023. It was drawn up following the work guide of the Federal Environment Office (OFEV) with the competition of a steering committee and a committee internal project to the State. Workshops with external representatives of the main sectoral policies concerned (forest, agriculture and built environment) were also organized. Finally, an internal consultation in the State was carried out.
A basic study within the meaning of the regional planning law
The report presented describes the planning phases and the results obtained for the canton of Friborg. It gives concrete tracks to implement the EI, while taking into account conflicts of interest linked to the use of the territory. This report, which is a requirement of the OFEV and must be given to it for position, represents a basic study within the meaning of the regional planning law. It will serve as a starting point for the integration of the EI into the cantonal master plan. This planning is therefore a first step.
The report reports on existing areas as well as potential additional surfaces which should benefit from measures to promote biodiversity. Thus the 17.3% of the areas of the canton currently with a protection status (biotopes, promotion of biodiversity, revitalization of watercourses, space reserved for water, fauna corridors, etc.) must be supplemented with 11.5% additional surfaces, including the exact location, the objectives and the status of protection remain to be defined.
The results and observations of this report show that the forestry and agricultural fields both strongly contribute to the EI, not only through the objectives already defined but also by existing measures. The implementation of the EI in these two areas will essentially aim to enhance and optimize the existing. For the built environment, considerable effort is to be made, in particular to find, or even restore a balance between the different fields and guarantee the long -term functionality of the environments.
The EI, as a coordination tool, provides basic elements and centralizes the information and issues linked to biodiversity throughout cantonal territory. Planning as well as the implementation of the EI guarantee the consistency of measures in favor of biodiversity and landscape on the various scales (cantonal, regional, municipal and local) and taking into account the interests of biodiversity in a precocious and coordinated manner.
