Scientists defend the forest. They even wrote to the minister
The Minister of Climate and Environment received an open letter signed by 150 scientists. They appeal to him to protect over 3 thousand hectares of Suchedniów Forests.
According to over 150 scientists, the Suchedniowskie Forests and the fir forest growing on their territory require special protection. In connection with this, they addressed a special letter to the Minister of Climate and Environment. In it, they argue that the ecosystem occurring in the Świętokrzyska Forest has a high degree of naturalness and provides protection for many species of plants and animals.
A letter in defense of the Suchedniów Forests
“The presence of rare species in this area, protected also under international law, and relics of natural forests, such as some birds (e.g. white-backed woodpecker) and saproxylic beetles (Schneider’s gloom) justifies the high natural value of the discussed area; such ecosystems are rare today, so it is worth protecting their remains in an appropriate manner,” we read.
The signatories of the letter remind us that this concerns an area of 3,376 ha of land belonging to the State Treasury and managed by the Suchedniów and Zagnańsk Forest District, in Skarżysko County. They also point out that the type of forest occurring in the mentioned area is unique in Poland, constituting only 0.2 percent of the forest area in our country. They emphasize that the upland fir forest should be excluded from economic use.
Dr Żmihorski: Forest separation is inevitable
One of the signatories of the letter, director of the Mammal Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Białowieża, dr hab. Michał Żmihorski, emphasized that forest management and nature conservation are incompatible. – In the case of forests, these goals will always remain divergent, because forest biodiversity requires the preservation of dead trees, heterogeneity of forest structure, roadless and marshy areas, and this in turn limits the production of wood raw material, makes its acquisition difficult and, as a result, increases the cost of produced wood – he explained.
– For this reason, it seems inevitable, but also reasonable and economically rational, to divide forests into productive ones and those serving nature conservation. Reserve protection is an effective way to protect the latter, so I count on the reserve in Suchedniów Forests to be established quickly – he announced.
