ACTION
ALERT
***********************************************
WORLDWIDE
FOREST/BIODIVERSITY CAMPAIGN NEWS
Enlargement
of Polish National Park Threatened
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Forest Networking a Project of Forests.org
http://forests.org/ -- Forest Conservation Archives
http://forests.org/web/ -- Discuss Forest
Conservation
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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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
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TEXT ENDS###
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