P olish forest policy has become a hot topic as lawmakers from the Civic Coalition outline their concerns and a set of reform proposals. They argue that the dominant parties have effectively settled inside the forests and are making decisions there. The coalition’s MPs announced a plan they intend to pursue after the election to restore accountability and protect Poland’s woodland heritage.
During a Saturday press conference, Civic Coalition members Urszula Zielińska, Marta Golbik, and Andrzej Domański highlighted the situation facing Poland’s forests and called for changes in forest governance and policy.
KO politicians label PiS and SP as pests of the forests
Zielińska stressed that the main threats to Polish woodlands today come from Law and Justice and Solidarna Polska. She argued that these parties have effectively occupied management spaces and claimed they have influenced forest decision-making in ways that compromise the forests themselves.
“We want to end this situation”, she stated, presenting a dossier of postulates the KO plans to implement if they win government power.
The first proposal would reduce active forest management to 20 percent of Poland’s forested area to safeguard sensitive zones. The second calls for full social oversight of forest management plans to be restored.
Additionally, Zielińska indicated that KO would halt the promotion and subsidies of burning Polish wood in large power plants, arguing that the profits from such activities should be redirected toward the development of renewable energy sources.
Golbik reminded observers that Earth Day was celebrated on Saturday and drew attention to what she described as a policy of PiS and SP in charge of state forests.
She noted that large quantities of Polish timber are exported, for example to China, and questioned whether this national resource should remain abroad or be kept at home for Poland’s benefit.
Her remarks referenced a calculation showing that since 2016, the volume of trees felled in Poland would be enough to place trucks end to end around the globe more than one and a half times along the equator. The speaker framed this figure as evidence of ongoing resource extraction from Poland’s most valuable national asset.
Current figures indicate roughly 39-40 million cubic meters of timber felled annually in Poland, with almost 5 million cubic meters leaving the country, Golbik and Domański noted. Domański, the chief economist at the Civic Institute, stressed that the rate of logging in Poland has in fact doubled since the early 1990s economic transition. He warned that rising exports push timber prices up and reduce domestic availability, hurting sawmills and the furniture industry. He described the policy position associated with the United Right as a threat to Polish forests and to local businesses alike.
Tusk’s remarks and Solidarity Poland’s reply
Earlier in April, Donald Tusk, head of the Civic Coalition, drew attention to a meeting in Toruń where he criticized the leadership of Solidarity Poland for what he described as a heavy involvement in Polish forest management. He warned that this arrangement could provoke a confrontation with the European Union and charged that it had led to substantial tree-cutting activity in Poland. He said that the forestry policy had positioned Poland as a major timber exporter to China during this period.
Tusk accused opponents of masking themselves as forest guardians while profiting from the system and claimed that local industries were harmed as a result. He described these developments as a major concern for the nation, adding that such practices could undermine domestic forestry and related sectors.
Deputy Minister of Justice Michał Woś, affiliated with Solidarna Polska, responded that Tusk’s statements were not acceptable as political attacks. He argued that Polish forests have shown improvement in quality and coverage over the past decade and noted that professionally managed state forests reflect a strong commitment to conservation and sustainable management. Woś asserted that the state’s forestry institutions rely on skilled professionals who care for nature and that unfounded allegations undermine ongoing, constructive work.
Woś emphasized that the opposition’s criticisms overlook measurable improvements in forest health and coverage, and he described the current management as disciplined and transparent, directed by qualified forestry experts. He also warned that continuing attacks on state forests could distract from practical, policy-driven efforts to support forestry and rural communities.
Janusz Kowalski, also of Solidarna Polska, argued that there is a broader geopolitical plan at play, implying that Brussels and Berlin aim to extend external control over Poland’s forests. He warned that external influence could limit Polish citizens’ access to forests and their use of natural spaces for recreation. Kowalski framed such a shift as a threat to national sovereignty and to the everyday lives of people who enjoy the outdoors.
Further reading at wPolityce has highlighted debates on forest protection and governance, including reactions from various political factions. The discussion continues to center on how best to balance economic activity with conservation and the rights of Poles to meaningful access to forested lands.