The Organization of Nature Conservation in State-Owned Forests in Poland and Expectations of Polish Stakeholders

Abstract

Research Highlights: The presented findings result from the first large-scale research conducted in Poland in relation to the State Forests—the most important place for the protection of Polish nature. They may constitute an important contribution to the improvement of the nature conservation system. Background and Objectives: The current model of organization of nature conservation in the State Forests in Poland is not fully effective. In regard to the growing influence of society on nature protection and the need to improve the existing system of nature conservation, this study poses the question: what are the expectations of various stakeholders as for the organization of nature conservation in the State Forests? The aim of the article is to present these expectations, to broadly discuss them, and to present recommendations for the future. Materials and Methods: The survey was conducted in 2013, among 41 various stakeholder groups in Poland. The choice of the surveyed groups was determined by their legal competence and/or practical experience in nature conservation in the State Forests. Results: A total of 77.9% of the respondents supported the concept of transferring full responsibility for nature conservation to foresters, while 51.1% supported financing of nature conservation tasks exclusively by the State Forests. In total, 46.8% of respondents believed that foresters should determine the principles and methods of nature conservation. The presented expectations of the Polish stakeholders differ from the current real situation, however, they still cannot be considered as a complete solution. Conclusions: The results indicate a need for a broader discussion and perhaps, consequently, a reorganization of the functioning of nature conservation in state-owned forests in Poland, considering the social expectations and trust in foresters. This can be inspiring also for other countries with a high proportion of state-owned forests.

Effects of Forestry Transformation on the Landscape Level of Biodiversity in Poland’s Forests

“…Although the share of forest area administered by SF declined somewhat over the study period, it is still high, which is characteristic of the former socialist "Eastern Block" countries [1, 7,55]. In view of Poland's biodiversity conservation (all levels, including the landscape), state ownership of forests/lands constitutes a pillar of nature conservation [56]. Over the past years, forest expansion in Poland has slowed down as it has across Europe [1].…”

“…The majority of Poland's protected areas (excluding national parks) and objects are situated in forests under management of the State Forests (Table 3). At the beginning of 2019, in total 70.6% of the forests managed by SF were under different types of protection [56]. These were predominantly forested areas; however, there were also protected non-forest areas in spatial arrangements with forest areas (e.g., peatlands, water courses and reservoirs, heathlands).…”

“…On the other hand, however, if protected areas are accumulated within lands administered by a single entity, such as the State Forests, which is the case of Poland, they may pose a number of organizational challenges. Setting out conservation rules and allocation of responsibilities for protected areas designated in state-owned forests managed by SF have been a part of a complex process carried out under the conditions of duties dispersed among various external entities [56]. Another challenge which SF administration has to face concerns approaches taken and communication, for example during development of management plans for Natura 2000 sites The approach assumed by foresters is hardly ever accepted by environmental NGOs, who as a rule demand robust protection of discussed Natura 2000 sites [77], regardless of the fact that, by definition, contemporary nature protection must take into consideration not only ecological dimension, but also those economic and social as well as regional and local circumstances [26].…”

Protected Areas in Forest Conservation: Challenges and Opportunities

“…In close relation to engagement and empowerment, trust in specific entities and organizations is another important factor that needs to be taken into consideration. For example, in the study by Referowska-Chodak [18] in Poland, the authors found that levels of trust towards foresters were high, leading to a favorable opinion for this specific group to have a more leading role in nature conservation policies.…”

“…However, poverty alleviation targets must not be completely ignored, as many West Africans rely on forest and catchment resources to support their livelihoods [19,22]. Finally, a common proposal in several papers of the SI, which brings us back to the second theme of the SI, is that forest conservation needs to become more inclusive and diverse by incorporating a number of local stakeholders in decision making processes [15][16][17][18].…”