Twenty-five years have passed since the establishment of Poland’s last national park, “Ujście Warty,” with new park creation stalled despite public support.
A Quarter-Century Without New National Parks
July 1st marks 25 years since the creation of Poland’s most recent national park, “Ujście Warty,” located in the Lubusz Voivodeship. For a quarter-century, no new national parks have been established, despite their limited coverage – approximately 1% of Poland’s land area.
This is significantly less than Germany (3%), Italy (5%), and Great Britain (8%).
Public Support vs. Political Inaction
Public opinion consistently demonstrates strong support for establishing new national parks, with polls regularly showing over 70% approval. Despite this, political action has been lacking.
Local Veto Power and State Forest Interests
The 2004 Act on Nature Conservation grants local government units at all levels the ability to block the creation of a national park if its area includes land within their jurisdiction. This effectively gives each municipal council a veto.
The creation of national parks potentially restricts commercial logging, impacting the interests of State Forests (Lasy Państwowe), which manage 80% of Poland’s forest area.
“What Will Be” – A Discussion on Polish Forests
The program “Co to będzie” discusses the ownership and governance of Polish forests and wilderness areas, who theoretically protects them, and who actually fights for their well-being. It also explores why national park employees are not always enthusiastic about expanding park areas.
Marek Józefiak, spokesperson for Greenpeace Poland and author of “Polska Rzeczpospolita Leśna” (The Polish Forest Republic), serves as the program’s guide.