Steigerwald Nature Park

On 8 March 1988 the Bavarian State Ministry for State Development and the Environment designated an area of 1,280 square kilometres (490 sq mi) in the Steigerwald in North Bavaria, Germany, as the Steigerwald Nature Park (German: Naturpark Steigerwald). About half the area consists of protected landscapes. The nature park is run by the Steigerwald Tourist Association and Steigerwald Nature Park (Tourismusverband Steigerwald und Naturpark Steigerwald e.V.).

The landscape is characterised by deciduous and pine forests, ponds and vineyards.

The Steigerwald hill range straddles the Bavarian provinces of Lower, Middle and Upper Franconia and surrounds their tripoint which is marked by the Dreifrankenstein ("Three Franconias Stone"). It is located between the cities of Bamberg, Schweinfurt, Würzburg and Nuremberg. To the north it is bounded by the course of the River Main and to the east by the Regnitz. Its southern boundary is formed by the Aisch and to the west the Main again and an extension of the line from Marktbreit via Uffenheim to Bad Windsheim.

Total park area: 1,280 square kilometres (490 sq mi)

Total park area: 1,280 km²

Total area: 675 km² (around 53% of the park)

Total area: 512.7 km² (around 40% of the park)

Since March 2007, there have been controversial discussions about the inclusion of parts of the northern Steigerwald Nature Park in UNESCO's World Heritage Programme by their conversion into a Steigerwald National Park. A study by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation lists those parts of the Steigerwald that are considered particularly worthy of protection because of the presence of very rare stands of beech-forest and their great variety of species. According to this proposal around 11,000 hectares, which accounts for just under 9% of the national forest, should be converted into a national park. The interest groups of private and corporate forest owners, forestry and agriculture and people from across the political spectrum are trying to do this with particular regard to preventing the loss of jobs.

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