Poland implements CJEU judgment

Poland is fully implementing the 2018 CJEU judgment. Signing a new annex to the forest management plan for the Białowieża Forest District is the only legally possible form of replacing the existing annex. It will enable active protection of valuable habitats and species in line with the guidelines of the European Commission and UNESCO.
15.03.2021

Poland is fully implementing the 2018 CJEU judgment. Signing a new annex to the forest management plan for the Białowieża Forest District is the only legally possible form of replacing the existing annex. It will enable active protection of valuable habitats and species in line with the guidelines of the European Commission and UNESCO.

"Amendments introduced in the forest management plan constitute a response to natural environmental processes and social needs. It is an expression of care for forests, which is exercised by people with experience and knowledge, sensitive to the changes of natural environment," said Government Plenipotentiary for Forestry and Hunting, Deputy Minister for Climate and Environment Edward Siarka.

The new annex for the Białowieża Forest District, to which the EC did not raise any objections, constitutes the implementation of the April 2018 ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union and Polish commitments to the European Commission, as well as UNESCO guidelines. The document assumes a reduction in the amount of wood planned to be harvested by nearly 60% compared to the previous document from 2016. This means that by the end of 2021, the Białowieża Forest District will be able to harvest a maximum of 4.3 thousand m3 of wood. More importantly, work will only start after the breeding season, i.e. in September at the earliest.

The Białowieża Forest District does not plan to remove trees over 100 years old, stands in wet and boggy habitats, in the so-called pioneer stands (with a predominance of pine and aspen) and in strict and partial protection areas I and II, functioning within the framework of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The majority of works (51%) will be aimed at nature protection - through the implementation of the plan of protection tasks for the Natura 2000 area (naturalisation of habitats through the reduction of coniferous species in favour of deciduous species characteristic for the primeval oak-hornbeam forests).

The remaining works assume the implementation of other tasks from the current forest management plan that have not yet been completed and ensuring safety along roads and tourist trails. In areas where timber harvesting is not allowed, trees cut down for safety reasons will be left in the forest.

In addition, the forest management plan for the Browsk Forest District was updated. In this forest district the majority of works (79%) shall be carried out outside the area of the Białowieża Forest complex. These activities are in full accordance with the plan of protection tasks Natura 2000 in the Forest and UNESCO zoning.

In particular, the following works are planned in the Białowieża and Browsk Forest Districts:

- realising necessary works within the plan of protection tasks for the Natura 2000 area of the Białowieża Forest, aimed at improving the situation of habitats and species protected by the EU, requires removal of a little over 9.7 thousand m3 of wood;

- ensuring the safety of local residents and tourists requires the removal of about 2.1 thousand m3 of wood. These will be trees that threaten safety along major roads and trails;

- up to 63,000 m3 of trees need to be removed in order to carry out the necessary tasks from the valid forest management plans, e.g. to perform the planned reconstruction of tree stands, cultivation of young tree stands and providing the local community with firewood. The vast majority of timber within these activities - over 88% will be harvested outside the area of the BiałowieżaForest, mainly in post-agricultural stands located north of the Białowieża Forest, on the outskirts of the BrowskForest District.