Panorama
 
 
 
   
 
 

PROTECTING OLD-GROWTH FORESTS IN POLAND

Environmental Panorama
International
December of 2007

 

05 Dec 2007 - Warsaw, Poland – Over 100,000 signatures have been forwarded to the Polish government, calling for the protection of Europe’s last remaining stands of natural forests.

The signature drive is part of a WWF campaign to safeguard ancient woodlands in Poland’s Bialowieza Primaeval Forest from logging and other unsustainable forest activities.

In February 2007, a report by Poland’s public audit body, the Supreme Chamber of Control, exposed inadequacies concerning forest management in the country’s most valuable forest areas. In October 2007, the Council of Europe suspended the European Diploma of Protected Areas awarded to the Bialowieza National Park because of lack of sufficient protection.

Also in 2007, the Forest Stewardship Council — an international, non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring environmentally responsible forest management — suspended certification for this region for similar reasons.

“For years, Polish politicians have been passively looking on as the degradation of this unique woodland continued,” said Ireneusz Chojnacki, WWF-Poland’s Programme Director. “Today, they may well have a one-time opportunity to do something about it.”

A special task force set up by Poland’s President, Lech Kaczynski has already drafted legislation to ensure protection of the forest, including extending the Bialowieza National Forest to encompass currently unprotected ancient forest strands. As part of the legislation, a special socio-economic programme has been planned to promote sustainable tourism for local communities living near the forest.

“Over 100,000 people demand that this legislative initiative be accepted by the president and then voted upon by the Polish Parliament,” added Chojnacki.

Home to lynx, wolves and other wildlife, the Bialowieza Forest is the last natural forest on the Central European lowland. Although it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, together with the Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park on the Belarus side, only 17% of the Polish area of the forest is protected as a national park.

The WWF campaign is aimed at improving the level of protection of the old-growth, primeval forests in and around the park.

“We cannot allow a further degradation of the natural heritage of Poland, as well as the entire European continent,” Chojnacki said.
Stefan Jakimiuk, Bialowieza National Park Project Manager
WWF-Poland
Anna Piekut, Press Officer
WWF-Poland

+ More

New conservation network set up to protect wetlands in China

09 Nov 2007 - Beijing, China – A new wetland conservation network has been established along the central and lower Yangtze River, providing a platform for management organizations, research institutions, social groups and the public to protect wetlands and battle climate change.

Wetlands are critical to mitigating climate change — they have an important and underestimated role in carbon storage and greenhouse gas regulation.

Supported by the WWF-HSBC Partnership Programme, the network of 20 wetland conservation areas is the first of its kind in China.

“With this new initiative, the overall protected area will see a remarkable increase if the separated wetlands are networked together,” said Li Lin, Head of Conservation Strategies at WWF China.

“This will significantly boost conservation effectiveness.”

The 20 wetland sites, covering an area of some 1 million hectares, represent a diverse range of habitats and are home to numerous species. The wetlands, however, are threatened by ecological degradation and water pollution as a result of economic development and urbanization.

WWF has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Wetlands Conservation Network, offering training to monitor waterfowl and climate data, as well as to work together on policy advocacy and awareness-raising campaigns.
Yang Man, Communication Coordinator
WWF China, Wuhan Office

 
 

Source: WWF – World Wildlife Foundation International (http://www.wwf.org)
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