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What can – and cannot – mountain areas do? Two new studies from Germany and Switzerland show the opportunities and weaknesses of regional economies and demonstrate that mountain areas can help in determining their own economic future.

Since 1998, the Kalkalpen National Park with its 20,825 ha has been recognised as IUCN Category II. 8 towns in the valleys Ennstal, Steyrtal and in Phyrn Priel in Land Upper Austria border directly with the National Park and were defined as National Park Towns. Together with other 9 towns nearby the National Park, they make up the National Park region since 2003. This decision to create a National Park region was not accompanied by a common development strategy. The objective of the DYNALP project is the shared definition of a common strategy with fields of action and intervention. This way, common steps should be taken more easily in the future, the typical nature and cultural lanscape in the National Park region should be preserved and the regional development, regional identity and a unitary picture towards the outer world should be built, based on the strength of the region, the National Park. The long term objective is the creation of appropriate facilities for the implementation of the actions, the decision-making process in the Region and the Financing of projects.

The species preservation projects "Golden Eagles in the Eastern Alps" and "Resettlement of Bearded Vultures in the Alps" were presented on 26 March as part of the 16th National Park Weeks at the Hohe Tauern National Park in Salzburg/A.

The Mount Everest region is at risk from global warming and should therefore be included on the UNESCO's World Heritage in Danger List. Mountaineers and representatives of the environmental group Friends of the Earth submitted a petition to the UNESCO Committee at the end of November.

The model project "No Barriers at the Berchtesgaden National Park" is to get underway in Berchtesgaden/D in July 2005. The project is to look at ways in which people with physical disabilities or restricted mobility can gain access to unspoilt natural environments.

The third research symposium of the Hohe Tauern National Park/A, which was held for the first time as a transalpine conference on research into protected areas, ended on 17 September. At the conference 72 scientists from eight countries discussed a range of cross-border issues.