The condition of the Bader protective forest is a matter of increasing concern to the Canton of Valais. EBP has drawn up alternative solutions for the optimum long-term protection of transport routes at risk from natural hazards.

The Canton of Valais operates a risk-based strategy for the protection of the Furka pass road and the Matterhorn-Gotthard railway (MGB) against natural hazards: in addition to structural engineering and organisational measures, the Bader protective forest plays an important role in this.
The protective forest is located in a very dry, steep area, and gnawing by wild animals has an additional negative effect on the development of the forest. The required protection offered by the forest is therefore constantly declining.
The Office for Forestry and Landscape of the Canton of Valais instructed EBP to analyse the situation and indicate alternative solutions for the optimum protection of transport routes.

Working together with the Monika Frehner forestry engineering practice and a monitoring group consisting of Federal Government specialists, cantonal and local authority specialists and the MGB, EBP provided the following services:

• Inspection of the Bader protective forest to assess the condition of the forest and the natural regeneration in accordance with NaiS .
• Clarification of the function of the Bader forest in the protection of transport routes against natural hazards and indication of the action needed to safeguard the protective function of the Bader forest.
• Analysis of the existing natural hazards and their anticipated future development using the RiskPlan web-based tool.
• Evaluation of risk reduction measures and estimation of the effects and costs of risks.
• Analysis of the risks after the implementation of the measures and of the cost-effectiveness of the measures, using RiskPlan.
• Documentation of the results, recommendation of measures and indication of how to proceed.