GB No. 1(16)/95
I am sure you have heard about the Białowieża forest (Bf) - Europe's last primeval forest. Wednesday 26 April, over 100 activists from around the world gathered in Warsaw to demand an end to logging in the last remnant of ancient temperate forest in Europe. You can support their activities by faxing to the Polish Prime Minister Józef Oleksy on fax 48/2/6284222, stating that you support protection of the whole forest. You can also send letters on the address: Urząd Rady Ministrów. Al. Ujazdowskie 1/3. Warszawa, Polska. As you know, an impressive letterhead helps....
Below you can see the statement of the international Forest Alliance.
Thanks!
Chris @ eyfa & ZB
European Youth For(est) Action - EYFA
e-mail: eyfa@antenna.nl
Postbus 94115
1090 GC Amsterdam, The Netherlands
tel./fax: 31/20/665.77.43
Dear Prime Minister,
We have come to Poland from different European countries, representing our environmental organizations to support the plan, and the action, to enlarge the Białowieża National Park. Białowieża is unique within Poland but it is also unique as the very last area of primeval temperate forest. We have come to support the efforts of Polish people to protect their forest and also, as Europeans, to protect our forest.
At every level there is support for the conservation of a larger area of Bf From the present 4747 hectares to 70.000 hectares. Scientific institutions in Poland support the plan including the Polish Academy of Science, the Ministerial Council For the protection of the Natural Environment, the Scientific Council of the Białowieża National Pork, the Mammal Research Institute, the Warsow University and Geobotany Station and the Polish Society for Bird Protection. The Polish Government has committed itself to expansion.
At the international level we note that the United Nation has recommended that all countries preserve 15% of their forests as natural Forests. No European country con now achieve this, but we request that Poland, and all other European countries, should increase the existing areas, wherever possible. Also the resolution HP of the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of forests in Europe, Helsinki 93, to which Poland is a signatory, states that "furthermore the protection of primeval and special Forests should be emphasized'.
The World Bank has publicly committed itself not to Fund logging in oldgrowth TROPICRL Forests. It should apply the same standards to temperate and boreal forests and make sure that no funds ore going to the destruction of the last European lowland oldgrowth forest. We do not want to take away the benefits that the forests provide to the local people. Rather we want to find other ways in which the forest can be conserved and local incomes can be maintained.
We, the undersigned, urge the Polish Government to enact the enlargement of the National Park and to stop all logging in the lost remaining oldgrowth areas of Białowieża forest and to restore logged areas to their Former ecological state. We also urge the Government to support the people of the region through the transition period.