Press release

dated 09.02.2026, No. 23

No felling of trees and shrubs from March 1 to September 30

Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen district. Anyone wishing to carry out upcoming felling and major pruning work on trees, shrubs and hedges must keep an eye on March 1. This is because, as every year, the seasonal ban on felling trees and shrubs in accordance with Section 39 of the Federal Nature Conservation Act applies from this date.

According to Section 39 of the Federal Nature Conservation Act, it is prohibited to cut hedges, living fences or bushes and to fell trees that are outside the forest or garden areas or outside gardens during the vegetation period between March 1 and September 30. Gentle pruning and maintenance cuts or necessary traffic safety measures are permitted all year round and may not be postponed. Trees in normal domestic gardens may also be felled all year round.

Please note: Trees in which birds nest may not be felled. There may be other regulations that prevent felling in individual cases, such as development plans, ordinances on protected areas or natural monuments. The reason for this regulation in the Federal Nature Conservation Act lies in the activities of flora and fauna from spring to fall: the first willow catkins and the blossoms of fruit trees are important food for bees. Many songbirds often breed in the branches several times in a row in one season. The larvae of ladybugs can be found on the leaves, needles and twig tips, as well as many butterfly caterpillars, e.g. the large fritillary butterfly, the sail butterfly and the mourning cloak. Dormice, bats, woodpeckers and tits live in the crevices and hollows of older trees, where they raise their young or hide. It is important that all these processes can take place as undisturbed as possible. After all, the time spent foraging, reproducing and rearing young is crucial for the preservation of biodiversity.

The "Information sheet on felling trees outside the forest" is available on the district authority's website at www.lra-toelz.de/35nat. If you have any questions, please contact the Lower Nature Conservation Authority on 08041 505-117 or umwelt@lra-toelz.de.

Marlis Peischer
Press Officer / Head of the Press Office
Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen District Office