Author: save-bialowieza

The situation is in the Bialowieza Forest building up. Activists from all over Poland are arriving to the forest. The same about forest guards, as the general director of State Forests (Lasy Panstwowe), Konrad Tomaszewski, issued a decision according to which each of the regional forest management bodies (there are 17 of them in Poland) has to send 3 people to the Bialowieza Forest to support local forest guards. They are to create reinforced intervention teams that will work in two shitfs daily from Monday to Saturday. The teams will be activated during the UNESCO summit. They are to guard the harvesting machines so that they could keep working. They will also watch the Forest, so that nobody breaks the access ban and enters the Forest, where destruction is taking place at an incredible speed.

Meanwhile, the 6th blockade of heavy machines started deep in the forest today. Once again activists with their bodies and risking further legal consequences try to stop the destruction of priceless ecosystem. They were not dicouraged by heavy storms that were passing here today, nor by the fact that legal procedures were started againts many activists or just their supporters. In the current days more and more people are getting letters from the prosecutors, informing them about charges. Some persons were charged with over 10,000 PLN fines. The money should be paid in 7 days’ time or their cases will be taken to court. The fines were calculated according to potential loss of the State Forests (one of the richest state owned companies that manages a third part of our country) due to machine blockades. However, the people who received the fines, did not take active part in any of the blockades. They just appeared on the site and showed solidarity by being there and greeting the activits.

Once again, the blockade attracted attention of the media. Swiss TV was present there.

This weekend UNESCO Summit starts in Kraków. Let’s show our solidarity! Get involved!

First interrogations of activists have started

On June 26, Adam Bohdan from Dzika Polska was interrogated by the police. During one of the peaceful demonstrations connected with blockades of heavy timber-harvesting machines, Bohdan was detached from the machine by the police and then drawn by force to the police car where he spent over on hour. Now he is accussed of disturbing public order by blocking the machines, which outraged workers of State Forests and inhabitants of Czerlonka, a village where the blockade took place.

The activist was charged with breaking the regulations according to which disturbing peace and order by noise and shocking others by scandalous behaviour is subject to detention, imprisonment or financial penalty.

Bohdan did not plead guilty and claimed that his actions stemmed from the state of necessity. He only wanted the current law to be obeyed. To make it happen, logging should be stopped in old-growth forest stands, which is in line with Nature 2000, forest management plans and UNESCO documents. He added that legal proceedings of the European Commission confirm the fact of law being violated. The activist also pointed out that it was the first time such heavy and invasive machines were used in the Forest and that the destruction was conducted at tincredible pace of 15,000 m³ cut within four months and that the changes in over-one-hundred-year-old forest stands are irreversible.

On June 27, Gazeta Wyborcza wrote about 17 activists in total who had been charged for disturbing public order. The police in Hajnówka brought their cases to the regional court of justice. The activists can be sentenced to financial penalty, detention or prison. There are 37 more activists whose cases are still being investigated by the police. Police headquarters in Hajnówka also got two notifications of tresspassing and forcing to a particular behaviour during the blockades in Czerlonka and Postołowo. The police is trying to determine whether crimes were committed or not.

A letter to UNESCO delegates and other foreign ambassadors in Poland was written and circulated by a group of local inhabitants. The letter represents the standpoint of the growing part of the local community that disagrees with the logging and suffers from it, also for economic reasons.

The letter is a response to Minister Szyszko’s call on the ambassadors and his persuasion that Bialowieza Forest should be crossed out from UNESCO Natural Heritage List.

During Minister and ambassadors’ visit to Bialowieza (June, 22) no party expressing a different opinion than the one of the Ministry of Environment was given the floor to speak and present the statements contained in the letter. The visit was kept secret until the very last moment and no open discussion bearing on the merits of the situation in the Forest was held.

 

Białowieża, June 21^st, 2017

 

Honourable Ambassadors,

 

We are addressing you as the representatives of the local community of the Białowieża Forest region to bring your attention to the negative processes taking place there.

This last piece of primeval European lowland forest and UNESCO World Heritage Site is under the threat of destruction. The State Forests have been conducting heavy logging in its area. Moreover, they have banned public access to two out of three forest districts.

We would like to point out that a continuously growing part of the local community strongly disagrees with the existing situation. The mass logging and fully artificial regeneration of the forest has devastating consequences for the landscape. It also drastically decreases biodiversity and inhibits natural processes. It should be highlighted that the cuttings were to be conducted only for sanitary and safety reasons, and solely along roads and tourist routes. Regrettably, they turned into a regular commercial logging, also in over hundred years old forest stands.

In view of the above, we are deeply worried that the UNESCO World Heritage site will soon suffer irredeemable damage. We are also concerned by the fact that voices of respected scientists and the scope of their research have been constantly disregarded by the Polish Ministry of Environment. The ministry claims (against scientific knowledge) that the forest was planted by men and cannot survive without human intervention. In fact, such standpoint appears to be a justification of the escalating devastation of the last remnants of the natural forest under the State Forests’ administration.

We strongly believe that natural ecosystems constitute an especially valuable part of not only Polish but European legacy. It is our responsibility to preserve wilderness for future generations. Therefore, we want to ask you for your support of the Bialowieza Forest conservation and for joining our call to stop the destructive logging.

 

Yours faithfully,

on behalf of concerned local citizens:

Joanna Łapińska

Arkadiusz Smyk

Katarzyna Androsiuk

Agata Smoktunowicz

Halina and Wiktor Kabac

Agnieszka and Mirosław Jakoniuk

Nela Szuka

Marcelina and Grzegorz Zimny

 

 

On Saturday, June the 24th, March for the Forest was organized in Warsaw. It gathered together about 5000 people and was the biggest march of solidarity with Bialowieza so far. People arrived from different places around Poland. They brought banners expressing their voices for keeping the wilderness, preserving biodiversity, leaving the Forest untouched and protected over the entire area as a national park. Many banners were signs of open protest targeted directly against Minister Szyszko and his devastating decisions and actions in the Forest.
It should be remembered that for people in Poland the Bialowieza Forest is a part of their national identity, something that everybody knows about and perceives as a symbol of Polish nature.

It was also yesterday that OKO.press – Polish independent news service, published results of a poll in which they asked who represents interests of the Bialowieza Forest in a better way: activists protesting against the logging or the State Forests.
1.5 times more Polish people expressed their support for the activists than for the State Forests that put into action the controversial policy of Minister Szyszko in which he uses police against the activists.
More and more Polish people cease to believe in Minister’s persuasions that the Forest can be healed by cutting it down and replanting it by foresters. However, PiS – the conservative party in rule – and its electorate support Minister Szyszko and spread the language of hatred across the media, calling not only activists, ecologists but also nature-lovers ‘ecoterrorists’ and enemies of the state.

Once again activists blocked heavy machines logging the Bialowieza Forest

Over 20 Greenpeace and Dzika Polska activists once again blocked heavy machines for mass timber harvesting in the Bialowieza Forest. Recently, the machines have been felling trees in UNESCO conservation zones in Browsk Forest District (one of the 3 forest districts). The protest’s goal is to attract attention to the visit to the forest of UNESCO countries’ representatives (22 June 2017). The meeting had been kept secret and no NGOs or scientists opposing Minister Jan Szyszko decisions were invited.

Activists blocked a huge machine with their own bodies and spread out banners saying: „Stop the logging” and „National Park over the entire Forest.”

‘Minister Szyszko pushes the limits of reasonable thinking. It is incredible that two weeks before UNESCO summit, which Poland is going to be the host of, Minister Szyszko in such a determined way tries to lower the forest’s prestige and to ridicule Poland. Not only does he let harvesting machines devastate the forest, but also he keeps telling nonsense about its unlawful inscibing onto the UNESCO World Heritage List,’ said Katarzyna Jagiełło from Greenpeace. ‘He also started pressing his buttons: representatives of different countries from the UNESCO Committee were brought to Bialowieza. What is quite typical of the minister, no NGOs or scientists were invited. They would have been able to show what the real devastation of the Bialowieza Forest with heavy equipment is – also in the UNESCO zones.’

‘Minister Szyszko tries hard to undermine the value of the forest as the world heritage – we cannot let it happen. That is why we go on with the blockades of heavy machines. In iswith the minister’s consent that the forest is being  logged also in the protected areas, which means that the most precious, UNESCO conservation parts of the forest are disappearing,’ said Adam Bohdan from Dzika Polska.

Results of forest patrols by Greenpeace and Dzika Polska unanimously show that this year’s felling is taking place in the old, invaluable parts of the forest that until present were not subject to logging, among others, the UNESCO zones. According to data from the three forest districts, about 40% of the logging was conducted in those areas of the forest that in line with Polish obligations towards UNESCO should be excluded from logging. Tree felling in those areas has not stopped until now, despite the fact that at the beginning of June UNESCO experts expressed their concern about the situation in the forest in a draft document prepared for the UNESCO summit in July. They also made a request to start the formal procedure that would help find out whether Poland should not be inscribed on the UNESCO Word Heritage is Danger List. The document prepared by experts will be discussed during the 41. Session of the World Heritage Committee the beginning of July in Cracow.

The 5th blockade was taking place in the UNESCO protected areas. Peaceful protests in the Bialowieza Forest began at the end of May. Since then many concerts, civil actions,e.g. walks to the forest to break the entry ban, solidarity manifestations have been held. They have one common message: national park over the entire forest!

The blockade finished in the evening of the next day. Activists spent the night in the forest. They were not discouraged by heavy rain and cold. Also no force was used against them this time, however, their identity was checked and names written downby forest guards. Activists managed to save many trees from being cut, to attract attention to the situation in the forest and to protest against the destructive policy of the Ministry of Environment.

On June 22, 2017 Minister of Environment, Jan Szyszko visited Bialowieza. He was accompanied by representatives of countries that belong to the UNESCO Committee.

‘We want the Bialowieza Forest to serve for the whole world as a model in terms of economy and reasonable management of resources, so that that those resources could exist,’ said the minister in a contradictory way. Such is the idea of his policy: to help the forest by cutting it down.

Minister Szyszko also said that this year the Ministry of Environment with State Forests had started a special programme based on the idea that ‘one third of the manager area of the the forest remains untouched by the human hand. Two thirds of this managed area are intended for regeneration of natural systems where – according to EU’s regulations, defendind the EU’s regulations – we will try to revive what has started to disappear.’

It has to be remembered that the whole area of the forest is UNESCO World Heritige Site and that old-growth forest stands extend far beyond the national park and the reserves. ‘Regeneration’ taking place has three stages: logging, ploughing, planting and has nothing to do with a natural forest.

The minister continued, giving a somewhat strange alternative of supporting either his policy or… his policy:

‘You can choose whose side to take; the protected 17,000 ha – which will be monitored in terms of succeeding changes and occuring species – or the other one, where in line with the EU’s law and by means of ecological engineering we will be restoring those habitats that have been destroyed.’ He also added that ‘these habitats will serve people and remain in excellent shape.’

Asked about a possibility of a dialogue, Minister Szyszko recommended referring to State Forests’ or the Ministry of Environment website where specific questions could be asked. Only after this kind of referrence can a dialogue be possible, he remarked.

Finally, asked whether Poland would apply for the change of Bialowieza Forest status, he replied that undoubtedly yes.

Today in the Polish Parliament the Minister of Environment said that the fact of inscribing the Bialowieza Forest on UNESCO World Natural Heritage List had been againts the law. In fact it was violation of the law. According to the Minister, the forest should have been inscribed on the Nature and Culture Heritage List, as it was shaped by the human hand. Saying that the forest is natural is, as the minister claims, not true.
He also added that the case is being prosecuted.

The minister argues that the expectations towards protection of the forest are contradictory. On the one hand, forest stands should be protected. On the other hand however, UNESCO regulations state that as untouched by human hand, forest should not be exploited by people. So, one has to choose an option, the minister claims. You can either stand for UNESCO or obey EU’s regulations, meaning: revive ‘destroyed’ forest stands.

He also added that economic calculations are being conducted. Their aim is to assess the costs of losing the forest stands and comparing it to the costs of reviving them. What is also being analised is the emission and removal of CO2 by the forest – this in context of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change, which he also undermines.

The minister also reminded that the Forest had undergone cataloguing that cost 5 mln PLN. Specialists (ornithologists, entomologists, phytosociologists) catalogued over 1000 species and mapped their occurrence. Also the Bialowieza national Park is being monitored. He also ensured that nothing is being done in the ‘reference zone’ (17,000 ha). On the remaining area (34,000 ha) they ‘have started improvements.’

Featured photo courtesy of Adam Wajrak

Polish Minister of Environment: ‘The Bialowieza Forest is a flagship of left-wing liberine movement.’ Spruce bark beetle fueling the hostility towards Europe.

‘The Bialowieza Forest is a kind of a flagship of the left-wing libertine movement of the whole Western Europe which claims that man is the biggest enemy of nature’s resources and that the ultimate form of protection is ”do not fell trees”.’

These are the words of Jan Szyszko, Polish Minister of Environment, from June 17, from the congress of ‘Gazeta Polska,’ a right-wing newspaper.

Difficult though it is to make out the sense of this statement (what movements? why enemies?), one thing is quite certain – the significant function of these words. Protests against the logging are not perceived as rational and based on scientific data, but rather as purely ‘ideological.’ What is more, pushing this ideology towards the left-wing and libertine side, so, the evil one according to the current authorities, lets the emotions win over logical thinking. Thus, Szyszko’s words fit in the general anti-European rhetorics of the Polish government.

The context is obvious – the ongoing protest against the logging of the Bialowieza Forest that started on May 24. Also the European Commission’s call to stop the logging immediately. Finally, the possibility of inscribing the forest onto the UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger.

As a consequence of Minister Szyszko’s ‘ideologically’ based approach, no protests of activists, no voices of Polish or foreign scientists, not even those of artists and intellectuals are taken into consideration. Even the opposition voiced their astonishment at cutting down the national legacy in order to fight the Shadow Cabinet rather than the spruce bark beetle.

What is more, the participants of the International Conference on Forests in Neuschönau, Germany, wrote to the Minister about the new research results which show that felling trees and removing dead wood have calamitous consequences for biodiversity and pose threat to natural forests.

Polish scientists have also been objecting to logging as a remedy for the spruce bark beetle’s outbreak.

‘There are no reliable scientific arguments for the efficiency of logging in such conditions like the ones in the Bialowieza Forest. Therefore, supporters of this method have nothing to refer to.’

After Robert Jurszo, https://oko.press/szyszko-puszcza-bialowieska-okret-flagowy-nurtu-lewicowo-libertynskiego-kornik-drukarz-sluzbie-antyeuropejskiego-hejtu/, 19.06.2017

Professor Martin Schroeder from the Swedish Agrigultural University in Uppsala, who is considered to be one of the best European specialists on the spruce bark beetle, has given an interview for the Science & Scholarship in Poland website.

http://naukawpolsce.pap.pl/aktualnosci/news,414617,ekspert-trudno-zakonczyc-gradacje-kornika-za-pomoca-ciec-sanitarnych.html

In the interview he emphasizes the fact that bark beetles’ outbreaks are a part of natural processes, yet, as woodlands in Europe have been greatly transformed, there is not much scientific data on this subject. It is known, however, that extreme weather conditions (e.g. draughts, high temperatures etc.) can enhance outbreaks. He aslo states that as spruce was less numerous in natural forests than in the man-planted ones, these outbreaks must have been less frequent.

Professor questions the effectiveness of felling and removing the infected trees in order to get rid of the insect from the forest. Firstly, all infected trees would have to be removed when the insect is in the larvae stage. The mature beetles fall off with the peeling bark and remain in the forest. Therefore, the time to dispose of the infected trees is quite short.

Secondly, spruce bark beetles develop a few generations and are on search of new trees through most of the summer. Besides, the groups of still green and live trees can be very small and, as such, more difficult to find.

The above mentioned reasons speak against sanitary cuttings.

What is more, when the bark beetle’s outbreak takes place on both protected and manager areas such mosaic sanitary cuttings are totally and even more inefficient.

Proffesor also mentions that felling old dead spruce trees that had been already left by the bark beetles should not take place. There are many species closely connected with dead wood, some of them are even natural enemies of bark beetles.

Finally, Professor was asked about existance of a method of fighting the bark beetle but without harming the biodiversity. Unfortunately, he replies, sanitary cuttings can only be conducted during summer, which leads to loss of many unique organisms. Therefore, if the ultimate goal is conservation of natural processes and of bioderversity, refraining from any kind of human intervention into nature can by no means be the best solution.

The weekend is coming to an end, which also means the end of the Weekend for the Forest.

The series of events in Białowieża that lasted from June 15th to 18th proved to be very interesting and successful. Much more people than initially expected arrived from all over Poland to support the idea of protection of the Białowieża Forest. They attended meetings, lectures, films and concerts. The most important part, however, was the March for the Forest. It was a magnificent act of solidarity with about 800 people breaking the ban imposed by the State Forests to hide the logging from publicity. Even heavy rain did not discourage the participants who walked in the forest to show their right to this piece of wilderness and their will to keep it wild. They protested against Minister of Environment policy according to which logging in the forest was increased threefold, which causes irreversible damage at a very fast pace.