On Wednesday, Paulina Henning-Kloska publicly announced the locations of the first five "Social Forests," which, as part of a pilot program, will cover a total area of 78,100 hectares.
These forest areas, located near major Polish cities such as Warsaw, Wrocław, Katowice, Bydgoszcz/Toruń, and Kielce, will focus on recreational use rather than commercial activities.
This marks a shift away from the previous government's policy of mass deforestation for timber sales under the national-populist Law and Justice (PiS) party.
The new government, led by the liberal-centrist Civic Coalition (KO), plans to protect about 20% of Poland's most valuable forest areas.
In Poland, 100 new nature reserves are planned, with 53 set to begin operations on December 1, 2024. The protection of ancient woodlands will start on January 1, 2025.
Poland to protect old-growth forests with logging ban
According to the Ministry of Climate and Environment, these "old-growth forests" will be designated outside of existing reserves, with a balanced distribution across the country.
Priority will be given to forests with native tree species in natural habitats, in line with the EU regulation on the restoration of natural resources.
It is estimated that about 1% of the most valuable old-growth forests will be subject to a complete logging ban.
Source: Radio Poland/PAP
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