Prohibiting Marathon Disallows Long-Standing 24-Hour Trails Walks
Rewrite
Heads Up: 24-Hour Hike Cancelled Due to Bureaucratic Hurdles
Share on WhatsApp Share on Facebook Share on LTE Messenger Forward via Email
The SG Empfingen had completed a 10-day marathon of hiking through woods and fields, but they were geared up for more. Unfortunately, red tape derailed their plans.
The SG Empfingen, a hiking circle based in Freudenstadt, planned to embark on a 24-hour hiking extravaganza with 40 participants over the weekend. However, a wrench was thrown in the works by the Rottweil District Office, which claimed that the hike required a permit, and the processing would take an agonizing six weeks. Organizer Gabriel Müller can't fathom the bureaucratic mess. With the clock ticking, he had no choice but to call off the hike, lamenting the senseless bureaucracy.
The Baden-Württemberg Forestry Act: A Silent Obstacle
What's the fuss about? The Baden-Württemberg Forestry Act, of course! This law mandates that organized events within the forest must obtain approval. But here's where things get tricky: Along the approximately 80-kilometer route, private forest owners must be informed, as they hold veto power. However, a brief announcement in the official gazettes of the affected municipalities is sufficient, as per the Rottweil District Office.
Additionally, the district office would have alerted the forest wardens of the impacted districts to ensure that the route did not traverse protected areas, such as black grouse sanctuaries.
"Organized Event": What Exactly Does That Mean?
But is the SG Empfingen's 24-hour hike, in fact, considered an "organized event" necessitating a permit?
The Rottweil District Office defines an event as organized if it is commercial, publicly advertised, a major sporting event, has an open participant circle, or boasts a number of participants surpassing a manageable threshold. If any of these conditions apply, a permit is required. Sigmaringen District Office, meanwhile, leaves the definition of a manageable event size vague, leading to a potential gray area of interpretation.
Gabriel Müller confides that they consulted privately with a lawyer. The lawyer opines that the permit issue is open to debate, but there wasn't enough time to contest the office's decision.
District Office Rottweil Halts 24-Hour Hike
Andrea Schmider, the press spokeswoman of the Rottweil District Office, stands firm: The Empfingen 24-hour hike falls under the purview of a larger sporting event requiring a permit, given the presence of a paramedic. Schmider also confirms that her colleagues in Freudenstadt, whose district the hike traverses, share the same sentiment.
No Issues with Empfingen Event So Far
The SG Empfingen had been hiking through woods and fields with 40 participants without incident for ten years. When organizer Gabriel Müller asked local municipalities if he could use a shelter for a break, he encountered friendly cooperation. This time, however, when he inquired in Fluorn-Winzeln (Rottweil District), the district office was alerted to the plans—and thus the dominoes started to fall.
Gabriel Müller hasn't made a final decision on whether the SG Empfingen will attempt another 24-hour hike in the future. The work is purely volunteer-driven, and the effort involved, even without permission, is already substantial. Adequate lodging and rest stops must be booked in advance, and a support vehicle is essential. It remains unclear whether the SG Empfingen will reach out to private forest owners in the future.
Back to the homepage
Note: A comprehensive understanding of the forests and forestry law in Baden-Württemberg necessitates the approval of organized events, with a focus on safety, environmental protection, and sustainable forest management. The specific requirements for a 24-hour hike as an "organized event" weren't fully detailed in the enrichment data, but general principles can be inferred based on common forest protection and event organization regulations in Germany.
The SG Empfingen, a hiking circle based in Freudenstadt, was planning a 24-hour hiking extravaganza, which would have been considered a larger sporting event requiring a permit according to the Rottweil District Office, due to the presence of a paramedic.
Unfortunately, the hike was cancelled as the processing for the required permit would take an agonizing six weeks, as stated by the Rottwe-Württemberg Forestry Act, which mandates that organized events within the forest must obtain approval.
