OCR Text |
Show Davos. Warning voices should definitely have been raised against this, but, since most of the construction was undertaken by people unacquainted with the area who paid the natives high prices for the land, the warnings didn't get through." For his part, Fankhauser spoke only of building permits which should have been denied. Later the Federal Forest Inspectorate took up the matter once more. After the great avalanche catastrophes of winter 1950/ 51, the Federal Department of the Interior published guidelines in which the necessity of avalanche zoning plans was emphasized. Seven years later, on July 9, 1959, the proclamation addressed to the governments of the mountain cantons was repeated, in which the instructions were recalled with the following words: " The guidelines of our Department of June 17, 1952, concerning afforestation and defense projects in tracts exposed to avalanche danger contained certain instructions intended to minimize the future exposure of human life and structures to avalanche danger. These instructions read as follows: " The preparation of avalanche zoning plans and avalanche cadasters is indispensable if future loss of life and property is to be prevented The Federal Government cannot underwrite contributions to resettlement or measures to protect structures against avalanches if the construction site was chosen without regard to the avalanche zoning plan and cadaster, or if such is lacking, warnings of building commissions were disregarded." " Experience teaches that the avalanche catastrophes of 1951 and 1954 are all too soon forgotten and that today construction is beginning again with irresponsible carelessness in avalanche danger areas. The people involved must bear the responsibility for their own lack of foresight, for the Confederation, in conformation with the above- mentioned guidelines, cannot contribute to the cost of protective measures." Up to the end of the 50' s the farmers of Davos and Verbier had used as they had for centuries their mowing meadows " auf den Boden", " Mayentset" and " PlanPra". In the autumn the cows grazed, the manure was put out to the meadows, and in summer the aromatic mountain hay was harvested. But the migration of mountain- people into the towns had long since begun. Again and again, " Maiensasse" were given up and even the less productive land was relinquished, for no more mowers could be found to cut the grass for poor compensation. The land became cheap. On the other hand, good economic conditions and the wealth of the lowlands brought more and more vacationers to the mountains. Among these were many who could afford a second, or vacation, house. By the early 50' s, the hunger for land extended to mountain areas. The sale of stony acreage in a short time made the mountain farmers rich. Speculators smelled business, got into the act, and soon ferreted out |