Speaking of European forestry …

Take a little break from the Forest Service …. sort of (actually sounds kind of familiar).

Poland says compliant with EU court order against ancient forest logging

The Luxembourg-based European Court of Justice on Monday warned Poland’s right-wing government to “immediately” stop logging in the Bialowieza Forest or face fines of up to 100,000 euros ($118,000) a day.

Bialowieza includes one of the largest surviving parts of the primeval forest that covered the European plain 10 thousand years ago.

Activists, scientists and other critics allege Poland is engaged in commercial logging but the government insists it is only felling trees for public safety reasons in accordance with the EU injunction.

The EU court did allow for exceptions, saying: “Poland must immediately cease its active forest management operations in the Bialowieza Forest, except in exceptional cases where they are strictly necessary to ensure public safety.”

The problem lies in the word “necessary,” which Poland has interpreted more broadly than the EU court.

On Tuesday a Greenpeace Poland activist, Kasia Jagiello, said that the group was calling for the creation of a commission that would include representatives of the environment ministry, as well as independent scientists and NGO representatives.

2 thoughts on “Speaking of European forestry …”

  1. It’s tiring to listen and read about this incessant right-wing vs left-wing power playing when both sides are nothing more than the mirror image of each other. BTW, over the border from Poland in E.U. Eco-powerhouse Germany, they were just given the not so eco-green light permission by the courts for obliterating an ancient forest to strip mine brown coal which is supposed to be the dirtiest of all coals. Go figure!

    http://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/German-court-Ancient-forest-can-be-cleared-for-12381256.php

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  2. My organization’s 1995 action alert as part of our work with the International Bialowieza Campaign to end old-growth logging and protect the Bialowieza Primeval Forest as a national park.

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