The Rax Alpine region, together with the Schneealpe and Schneeberg belong to the river source protected area (Quellschutzgebiet) of the First Vienna Mountain Spring Pipeline (I.
The Schneeberg and Rax lie within the Northeastern Border Alps: Hohe Wand-Schneeberg-Rax Special Area of Conservation (FFH-Gebiet Nordöstliche Randalpen: Hohe Wand-Schneeberg-Rax) [REF].