If we look at the history of state forests, it becomes clear that this is an institution that has a suit for every political occasion. He changes his clothes according to how the wind blows, but the status quo does not change.
Last weekend, January 6-7, 2023, the first Congress of Forest Movements took place in Warsaw. For the first time, so many people gathered in one place and saw live people working at the grassroots level to protect their forests in more than 400 forest initiatives across Poland. The organizers of the congress, where I appeared as a participant and speaker, were the Lasy i Obywatelki Foundation and Greenpeace Polska.
A breeder of bloodhounds goes to the woods
The turnout was amazing – despite the holiday, the onslaught of winter and the fact that the date was delayed by a month due to serious illness, over 80 people attended the meeting. You felt good energy – and there were many things to be happy about. Thanks to the unity of the forest movements, within the forest manifesto published before the elections, signed by almost 300 organizations and supported by all coalition party candidates, the topic of nature protection and especially forests appeared high in political and electoral issues. on the agenda. Expectations of the forest community were equally high regarding the fulfillment of election promises by the ruling coalition. The situation in this context is very dynamic – a lot happened before and after the congress.
The Ministry of Climate and Environment, headed by Paulina Henning-Kloska, was very active from the beginning. The visit of Minister and Deputy Minister Mikolaj Dorozhala to Białowieża Forest was symbolic and important. Instead of a pseudo-patriotic Christmas scene and hunting attractions (as was the case under the previous government), there was a substantive discussion with all stakeholders, including representatives of non-governmental organizations and scientists, and a walk in the woods that ended with announcements. Determining the “constitution” of the forest. During the visit, the director of the Białowieża National Park, Dr. Michal Krzyak, lost his position.
One day before his visit to Białowieża, Prime Minister Tusk unexpectedly appointed a new Director General of State Forests – Witold Kos. He is a man from outside the political system, but also a little from nowhere. The expectation of the forestry and activist community, also expressed at the congress, was to appoint someone from outside the political and forestry system to this position – preferably an independent scientific authority. We've been waiting for the equivalent of Adam Bodnar, an atomic bomb comparable to liquidation. News And we liquidated TVP and got it a hunter And a blood dog breeder from the second rank of foresters.
Perhaps these are harsh and exaggerated estimates, but the nomination of Kosi could be a warning that we are about to have fun again, only under a different party banner. If we look at the history of state forests since the political changes, it is clear that it is an institution that has a suit for every political occasion. He dresses in it according to what the wind blows, but the status quo does not change – even in recent years, politicization has reached its zenith, causing such enormous social discontent that it has shed its traditional activist nature. A bubble that also causes a change in power.
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From words to deeds
The Coalition of Forest Movements gathered 10 postulates developed within the framework of the Forest Manifesto, including the exclusion of at least 20 percent. Forests from economic use, increasing public influence on forest decisions and rational use of wood.
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The main demand of the forest was also included in the coalition agreement. The problem is that imposing the promised 20 percent is not easy, and it seems that the necessary plan has not been prepared. This can be done in some way through regulations, but for the permanent protection of such areas, systemic changes are needed.
The experts in the room emphasized that real and lasting change would be possible with two conditions: thorough reform of state forests and a new forestry act. Both points must take into account, first of all, the context of climate change, as well as a fundamental change in the forest management paradigm, since it is impossible to implement economic, natural and social functions in the same forest area as the state. At the same time, the forests contributed to the excessive exploitation of the forest.
The Forestry Act was included in the coalition agreement, but not in specific terms during the first 100 days of government. It is obvious that the Forest Act cannot be changed in such a short time. The point here is to create regulations that ensure long-term protection of nature and not to use exceptions that are valid today but will lose their force after a possible change of government.
However, you have to start somewhere. Shortly after the end of the Congress, on Monday, January 8, the Ministry announced restrictions on cutting in 10 areas of natural and socially valuable forests. The list includes the Bieszczady Mountains, Borecka Forest, Swietokrzyska Forest, Augustowska Forest, Knyszynska Forest, Carpathian Forest, Rominka Forest, Tricity Landscape Park, as well as forests around Iwonich-Zdroj and Wroclaw.
“We are moving from words to deeds. We have decided to issue the first decision to limit and stop the cutting of the most valuable forest areas in Poland. It's time to get the saws out of the parts of Poland's forests, especially those that cut down the most precious natural objects. We are working on a systemic solution that covers more areas and will be consulted with representatives of state forests, local governments and local communities,” Minister Hennig-Kloska said at the conference.
enough for now
The “ten” included, among others, the legendary, planned Turnitsky National Park (Carpathian Forest) and the famous section 219a in the Stuposian forest district, which was protected by the activists of the Vilchyts collective. But, for example, there is no forest in the Krasicin forest, where this year more than 300 trees with the status of natural monuments are planned to be cut down. There is also, for example, the beech forest in Szczecin, whose release from the ax a week ago – as you can see, excessively – was celebrated by naturalists and local social activists.
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There is also no conversation Green ring around Warsaw and many other socially valuable forests. In addition, the logging moratorium will only be in effect for 6 months at the moment. Detailed maps of the sections where forestry operations will be stopped or significantly reduced are also shown. Basically, except for the planned area of Turnitsky, there are a larger or smaller number of units, but not entire forest complexes, as can be concluded from the statement. In addition, it turns out that some “suspended sections” were not planned to be cut – at least, according to the data on the map of forests and citizens, obtained from the forest districts.
Minister Kloska and Minister Dorozhala, who attended the conference, assured that this is only the first stage of activities. The idea was to limit logging to the most naturally and socially valuable sites (although this is a very subjective category and each site may be equally valuable).
In addition, systemic changes were announced before the expiration of the moratorium. What will these changes be? No details yet. Minister Dorozhala emphasized several times that they will take public interests into account with the principle “without us there is nothing”. However, there was no concrete promise of changes in the forest law or thorough reform of state forests. We are also looking forward to the round table on forests promised by Prime Minister Tusk, at which all stakeholders will sit.
However, there was an interesting announcement of information about socially and naturally valuable forests directly through the Ministry's website. The demand for the congress was presented by experts as one of the ways to determine the 20 percent. Forests that are not subject to economic use, however, attention was also drawn to the fact that the entire process of reporting, giving opinions and making decisions should be described in detail. “Dorozhala is marketing, throwing slogans and apparently not thinking about due process at all,” I heard from one of the participants.
What do the activists say?
The public reaction to the Forest Manifesto is optimistic but reserved.
The Forests and Citizens Foundation wrote on their Facebook page: “10 places with symbolic exclusion in 6 months may be a sign of change, but this swallow does not stop sawing and harvesting in many places that deserve it. We are waiting for a systematic reform of the forestry policy, which takes into account the 10 demands of the Forest Manifesto.
Greenpeace Polska and the Wild Carpathians Initiative speak in a similar tone – although the latter have reason to be happy. After all, just a few months ago, they protected the pens with their own bodies in the planned Turnitsky National Park.
Recent events surrounding the forests have caused a major shift in the narrative. Suddenly it turns out that what was previously impossible (even temporarily limiting logging) turned out to be quite easy and was a matter of political will. You also need to have realistic expectations – really good change doesn't happen overnight. It takes time.
Personally, I am a cautious optimist. I am very happy that it has been reduced or decreased. A moratorium is important both psychologically and practically—it's simply something to protect when the desired systemic changes come. I have a basic fear, which is also expressed by many people in the meeting, that we will get scraps. Some of them might even be valuable, but still scraps – so no one can accuse politicians of not keeping their promises. And that these promises are general? This is what politics looks like most of the time.
On the other hand, I believe that the people in power, who received such a mandate, will not be able to keep their promises. Polish democracy will pay a terrible price for this. As a civil society, we have also shown that we can fight back and the pressure made a lot of sense. It is clear that the Prime Minister and his team feel this. That's why I enjoy the swallows and wait patiently for spring.