Points of contention about clearance compensation

The preservation of forest areas and corresponding clearance compensation are regulated throughout Switzerland in the Federal Constitution and the Forest Act. The motion “More flexibility in clearing compensation” has sparked discussions on how forest conservation, particularly in densely populated areas, can continue to be balanced with other landscape and infrastructure development needs in the future, and how this can result in opportunities for ecological enhancement where interests overlap. Four representatives express their views from the perspectives of forestry, agriculture, spatial planning, and landscape conservation.