# Protected areas of national importance

A map of a former edition of the Atlas of Switzerland, the national atlas published by ETH Zurich. It opens only in the desktop atlas (version 4) for Windows and macOS, not in the web atlas; see the links below.

- Map: https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/protected-areas-of-national-importance/
- Short title: National protected areas
- Map id: 124
- Categories: Portrait of Switzerland › Landscape and Space
- Keywords: Leisure time, Nature conservation
- Published: 2016-05-11
- Last revised: 2023-01-27
- Content language: English
- Other languages: [Deutsch](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/de/thema/schutzgebiete-von-nationaler-bedeutung.md), [Français](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/fr/theme/zones-protegees-dimportance-nationale.md), [Italiano](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/it/tema/panoramica-delle-zone-protette-nazionali.md)

## Description

The *Swiss National Park,* established in 1914, was the first protected area in Switzerland, and remained the only one for many years. The need to provide a certain protection for landscapes of national importance led in 1977 to the *federal inventory of landscapes and natural monuments of national importance (BLN),* which was later supplemented in three steps. The Rothenthurm Initiative provided impetus for innovation. Connected with this, the 1987 revision of the Law on the Protection of Nature and Cultural Heritage strengthened nature protection at all levels, an effective federal competence for *biotopes of national importance* and 88 *mire landscapes.* A supplement followed in 2001, in the form of a first series of *amphibian spawning areas,* which is even more directly linked to efforts towards species protection.

Two further categories of protected areas:* federal game reserves* and* reserves for waterfowl and migratory birds* originated in the revision of the Law on Hunting, in the nineties. The large protected areas programme, is the consequence of the realization that increasing destruction of biological and landscape diversity could not have been stopped and that the proportion of wilderness areas and national parks in relation to the total area of Switzerland is very small compared with other states of Europe. The first representatives are the *biosphere reserve* of Entlebuch, and the *UNESCO world natural heritage sites* of Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn and Monte San Giorgio.

## Sources

- FOEN: [Definitionen Schutzgebiete](http://www.bafu.admin.ch/org/organisation/10994/index.html?lang=de)

## Data sources

- FOEN (2009): [Bundesinventar Amphibienlaichgebiete (AM)](http://www.bafu.admin.ch/biodiversitaet/13690/13725/16022/index.html?lang=de)
- FOEN (2009): [Bundesinventar Auengebiete (AU)](http://www.bafu.admin.ch/biodiversitaet/13690/13725/16022/index.html?lang=de)
- FOEN (2009): [Bundesinventar Jagdbanngebiete (JB)](http://www.bafu.admin.ch/biodiversitaet/13690/13725/16022/index.html?lang=de)
- FOEN (2009): [Bundesinventar Landschaften von nationaler Bedeutung (BLN)](http://www.bafu.admin.ch/biodiversitaet/13690/13725/16022/index.html?lang=de)
- FOEN (2009): [Bundesinventar Moore (HM, FM, ML)](http://www.bafu.admin.ch/biodiversitaet/13690/13725/16022/index.html?lang=de)
- FOEN (2015): [Bundesinventar Wasser- und Zugvogelreservate (WV)](http://www.bafu.admin.ch/biodiversitaet/13690/13725/16022/index.html?lang=de)
- FOEN (2022): [Pärke von nationaler Bedeutung](https://www.bafu.admin.ch/bafu/de/home/themen/landschaft.html)

## Data owners

- [Swiss Parks Network](http://www.parks.swiss)
- [Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN)](http://www.bafu.admin.ch/)

## Citation

The terms of use ask to name the Atlas of Switzerland and the data owners, and to keep the source references in exports, screenshots and embeds. Cite the map as:

> Atlas of Switzerland (2023): Protected areas of national importance. ETH Zürich. Map data © Swiss Parks Network, FOEN. https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/protected-areas-of-national-importance/

## Links

- Map page, with the description and sources and a button that opens the map in the desktop atlas: https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/protected-areas-of-national-importance/
- Open the map in the desktop atlas (version 4), where it is installed: adsglobe://map/124
- Download of the desktop atlas (version 4) for Windows and macOS: https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/ads4-download/

## Related maps

- [Zoos and wildlife parks by natural habitat](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/zoos-and-wildlife-parks-by-natural-habitat.md) (id 312, former edition, desktop atlas only)

For the use and citation of maps and data, see the [terms of use](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/terms-of-use/).