Advisor to the President of the Republic of Poland Sławomir Mazurek posted on social media about a discussion on the new forest policy that activists want to introduce in Poland together with the Ministry of Climate and Environment. “There was no analysis of the effects on the economy, and forests are green jobs and 2.5 percent of GDP,” wrote the former Deputy Minister of Environment and Climate.
The National Forests propose to exclude more than 564,000 areas from economic use. ha of forest, as reported by Witold Koss, the government-appointed director of the farm. He added that the proposal is a response to the expectations of the Ministry of Climate and means a reduction in timber harvest by 3 million cubic meters.
Forest rangers from the Association for the Sustainable Development of Poland. late Prof. Jana Szyszko announced the collection of signatures for a referendum initiative to defend Poland’s forests.
During the National Forest Conference in Korzecko, Koss presented the SF’s proposals. As he said, the largest area of exclusions will be in Białystok. This is expected to affect approximately 101,000. ha woods. The planned exclusions are also located in forest areas in, among others: Szczecinek (approximately 57 thousand ha), Olsztyn (approximately 53 thousand ha) and Zielona Góra (approximately 33 thousand ha).
Logging is suspended in the above areas. As the director of the Forestry Commission noted, implementation of the Forestry Commission’s proposal would mean limiting the logging of more than 3 million cubic meters of wood.
A new category of forests
Former deputy head of the Ministry of Environment, Sławomir Mazurek, reports on the discussion on the future of Poland’s forests on social media. He noted that Poland will be the only country in the world that – according to the proposal of the Ministry of Environmental Protection – will introduce a new category of forests, namely old-growth forests.
The Ministry of Climate and Environment, at the forefront of the #GreenDeal, is the first in the EU to announce the introduction of a new category of forests, the so-called ancient forests. The ministry plans to create about 150 new reserves and 41 national parks, all on the grounds of the State Forests, although there is no information on the cost of the operation. You enter at your own risk! Yesterday I attended the National Forest Meeting, it is a wealth of knowledge on what the current government is preparing for the forests
— wrote on X Sławomir Mazurek.
President Duda’s advisor emphasized that the most exciting thread in the whole case is the proposal to deprive the state forests of effective forest management, which is responsible for many jobs in Poland as much as 2.5 percent. GDP.
The following concepts arouse the most emotions: depriving the State Forestry Department of the opportunity to carry out business activities, promoted by the representative of the Commissioner for Human Rights (who previously worked with the current head of GDOŚ and the director of the Forestry Department of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage as part of the Climate and Space Team), the proposal of a segregation and gradation model consisting of the separation of forest functions, protective and commercial forests. No analysis of the effects on the economy has been carried out for all these solutions, and forests provide green jobs and 2.5 percent. GDP
— added Sławomir Mazurek on X.
Forests under the influence of activists
Sławomir Mazurek noted that activists were calling for an abandonment of the commodity economy. Naturally, they also demanded that they be given more powers and influence over what happens in the forests.
During the discussion on social forests, activists called for an end to resource management in these forests, adding that the process for designating them was flawed and requests from local governments were not transparent; there were expectations of greater influence over what happens in the forests (without responsibility, of course). Activists claimed that their community forests were being cut down and they were becoming poorer
– he emphasized.
The Director General of Staatsbosbeheer presented a proposal of 17 percent. exclusions from forest management, he openly spoke of another 3%. There were voices from the room that it was too little and not transparent. Some participants lamented that decisions were made based on political orders and not on the real needs of conservation
– Added Mazurka to X.
READ ALSO:
– MKiŚ pushed this through? The National Forests propose to exclude more than 564,000 areas from use. ha woods. Hennig-Kloska is very satisfied
– Will it be possible to defend Polish forests? Signatures are being collected for the referendum initiative! ‘Keep Polish land in Polish hands’
— Sałek and Siarka asked questions to the Ministry of Culture and Environment in the Sejm. ‘I do not understand why the ministry is handing over its powers with this law’
maz/wPolityce.pl/X
Source: wPolityce
Emma Matthew is a political analyst for “Social Bites”. With a keen understanding of the inner workings of government and a passion for politics, she provides insightful and informative coverage of the latest political developments.