A member of the ruling party, Paweł Sałek, announced in October plans to request an extraordinary meeting of the parliamentary committee on environmental protection, natural resources and forestry. The aim is to scrutinize the results of public consultations regarding the inclusion of forest areas in sustainable forest management. Sałek noted that the consultations were repeated to thoroughly analyze the outcomes announced by the Ministry of Culture and Science, after the first round did not unfold as expected.
On social media, Sałek emphasized that Polish society engaged actively in the moratorium consultations led by Minister Hennig-Kloski, and that votes supporting or opposing the moratorium were under counting as of that moment.
In August 5, the consultation on excluding forest areas from sustainable forest management, initiated by Minister Paulina Hennig-Kloski, concluded. The focus was on regional directorates of state forests in Białystok, Gdańsk, Krosno, Radom and Wrocław. Reports indicate strong public participation. The case remains significant as the State Forests Service is set to publish its results by August 25 of the current year.
Sałek commented on X that the moratorium had been deemed illegal regardless of the vote outcome, and that votes sent both electronically and on paper to five regional directorates were being tallied. Stakeholders awaited the final tallies to determine the balance of support and opposition to the moratorium, with Sałek stating his view that the moratorium is illegal no matter the results.
Will the Commission review the applications?
The PiS deputy announced plans to request an extraordinary meeting of the parliamentary committee with the goal of analyzing the social consultation results. As deputy chair of the Sejm Committee on Environmental Protection, Natural Resources and Forestry, Sałek stated the special session would be convened under the rules allowing a third of the committee to call such a meeting, which would occur within one month.
The committee meeting’s agenda is expected to cover submitted comments, the entities and individuals who participated, and how those comments were treated. It will also involve inviting the Minister of Environment and Climate, Paulina Hennig-Kloska, the Chief Curator of Nature, Mikołaj Dorożała, the Director General of State Forests, and the five regional directors affected by this operation.
Sałek added that the discussion would clarify the handling of public input and the interpretation of votes, to ensure transparency in the process and prevent any perception of manipulation in the consultation results.
Results and implications
The former deputy environment minister argued that Parliament must debate the moratorium to prevent the ministry from interpreting public consultations in a way that could constrain independent assessment. The ongoing discussion about repeated consultations, the interpretation of votes for and against, and the ministry’s stance should be addressed in parliament to avoid any impression that the consultation is merely a formality. If early statements by the climate ministry are any guide, changes to the moratorium may be presented as cosmetic, regardless of the participant views. The overall trend of the counted votes suggested strong opposition to the moratorium, with many voices challenging the ministry’s approach.
The situation is expected to unfold further as August 25 approaches, with observers watching the vote tallies and the ministry’s responses. Sałek framed the situation as one where the outcome is not yet fully clear but the general momentum indicates the public’s concerns are substantial and deserve careful parliamentary consideration.
Notes from the situation indicate that discussions around the moratorium and the public input process are already shaping policy conversations within the environmental protection and forestry communities. The public discourse continues to reflect cautious optimism that Parliament will ensure checks and balances on how consultations are counted and interpreted, safeguarding the integrity of the process for Polish forestry and natural heritage.