ACTION ALERT
Enlargement of Polish National Park Threatened
12/20/99
OVERVIEW & COMMENTARY
The Bialowieza Forest in Poland represents the last large natural and
semi-natural forests of the Central European lowland. These forests
had been slated for enlarged protected status, but are now likely to
be logged, albeit under Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
certification. Clearly Europe has crossed the threshold whereby
remaining natural forests are infinitely more valuable intact rather
than managed, however lightly. This article illustrates the
conundrum faced by forest conservationists that advocate for
certified logging to protect forests and biodiversity. There are no
effective, consistent methods to determine when ancient forests are
best preserved, or when it is better to pursue certified logging.
Unless there is a clear set of criteria established, certified
logging--FSC or otherwise--will be used as a excuse to log virtually
all remaining large blocks of native forests.
With 80% of natural forests already deforested or diminished, 50% of
the World's rainforests gone, and at least half of what remains
threatened with immediate destruction; the default assumption should
be that remaining ancient forests are to be granted protected status.
This is based upon their ecological outputs, genetic resources and as
a blueprint and source of planting materials for the age of forest
restoration. Only if local peoples subsistence development needs are
so overwhelming, and they will control and benefit from community
forestry activities, should ancient forests be managed for
certifiably, ecologically benign management activities. Clearly, in
this case in Central Europe, outright protected status is most
appropriate.
The slippery slope of forest certification shows great potential for
reasonable management of secondary forests. It also has tremendous
potential for misuse as a justification to log essentially every
major ancient forest that remains. This is particularly galling when
competing standards threaten to make "certification" little more than
dressed up best management practices for industrial forestry that
should have been practiced all along. Truly ecologically more
sustainable logging is dependent upon small scale, community based
production within the context of intact forests. Anything less than
certified eco-forestry is still invasive and irreparably changes
forest composition, structure, function and regeneration.
Please take the time to help save Central Europe's largest remaining
forest expanse. Let Polish forestry officials known that certified
industrial forest management, while encouraging, does not necessarily
mean this forest should, or must, be logged. It has much greater
value as a protected forest.
g.b.
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RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:
Title: ENLARGEMENT OF BIALOWIEZA NATIONAL PARK (POLAND) IN DANGER -
THE LAST PRIMEVAL FOREST IN THE CENTRAL EUROPEAN LOWLANDS
NEEDS YOUR HELP!
Source: Society for Bialowieza Forest Protection (TOPB)
ul. Waszkiewicza 1b
PL-17-230 Bialowieza
e-mail: office@topb.most.org.pl
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: December 20, 1999
URGENT FAX AND LETTER WRITING ACTION - PLEASE DISTRIBUTE WIDELY
The proposed enlargement of the world famous Bialowieza Forest
National Park from 105 to 600 square kilometers is seriously
threatened. The National Forest around the current National Park just
obtained the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certificate.
This could mean that the Polish Ministry of Environment and Forests
plans to continue timber use in this forest. Two years ago the same
Ministry promised to declare the entire forest as National Park and
thus protect the ancient trees and stands of primeval forest in the
woods around the current National Park.
The decision-making for or against the National Park enlargement might
take place very soon. It is expected that Parliament will follow the
proposal of the Ministry of Environment and Forests.
Your opinion could be critical. Please fax and write to Poland this
Millenium! Tell them, that you and your organization want a National
Park in the ENTIRE Bialowieza Forest and not just sustainable
forestry!
____________________________________________
CALL FOR ACTION: PLEASE SEND FAXES AND LETTERS
Please send a polite letter and fax to the address in the letter
sample below. Until now the fax works night and day, but we do not
know when it will run out of paper. It might be a good idea to send a
copy of your fax as letter.
Letterheads and signatures of environmental organizations, scientific
institutes or touristic groups could help to emphasize the importance
of your letter/fax.
Please send a copy of your letter or a short e-mail notice as
reference to:
Society for Bialowieza Forest Protection (TOPB)
ul. Waszkiewicza 1b
PL-17-230 Bialowieza
e-mail: office@topb.most.org.pl
Don't forget to forward this call for action to friends, environmental
groups, mailing lists, and newsgroups you know. Thanks!
Mark, copy, and paste the sample letter text into your letterhead, if
you don't want to formulate your own letter.
____________________________________________
LETTER SAMPLE
Mr Marian Cieslak
Director of Department of Forestry, Nature Protection and Landscape
(DLOPiK)
Ministry of Environmental Protection
ul. Wawelska 52/54
PL-00-922 WARSZAWA
Fax. 22-8254705
Dear Mr. Cieslak,
We would like to express our deep concern about the fate of Bialowieza
Forest. We are impatiently waiting for the National Park to be
enlarged to cover the whole forest complex.
The entity of Bialowieza Forest represents the last large complex of
natural and seminatural forests of the Central European lowland. Its
extremely high conservation value and importance is internationally
well known. Already two years ago, the Polish Minister for
Environment, Resource Management and Forestry declared officially,
that the National Park enlargement to the whole Bialowieza Forest is
the goal of the Ministry's policy. National and international
organisations and institutions, such as the Polish National Council
for Nature Conservation, the Polish Academy of Sciences PAN, the
Coalition for Bialowieza Forest Protection, WWF and IUCN gave their
opinions in favour of a National Park enlargement.
According to our information by the Society for Bialowieza Forest
Protection (TOPB), the Regional Forestry Department of Bialystok (RDLP
Bialystok), that is responsible for Bialowieza Forest, is actually
granted the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) certificate. Although
we hereby congratulate to this decision for sustainable timber
production in the exploited forests of Bialystok region, we are very
concerned about the possible negative effect on National Park
enlargement. We are irritated about the information, that the FSC
argument was misused to fight the National Park idea, even more than
two weeks before FSC certificate really was granted.
FSC is meant as a label for "sustainable timber production" to
minimise environmental damages by destructive forestry methods. As
such, FSC focuses on exploited forests with the purpose of economic
benefit by timber production. The FSC certificate can by no means
replace a National Park! Bialowieza Forest as a precious natural world
heritage should not be regarded as a timber production site. It has to
be maintained with the focus on ancient forest conservation, including
acceptance of natural processes, and hence deserves the status of a
National Park.
Please make sure that all of the Bialowieza Forest obtains protection
as a National Park this year.
We would greatly appreciate to be informed about your further
activities in this matter.
Yours sincerely
YOUR NAME AND ORGANISATION
_________________________________________
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
Please contact Sabine Stosiek in Germany if you have further
questions: sstosiek@rz.uni-osnabrueck.de