So is it the Reserve or the timber enterprise?
The article by Marina Zagorskaya,
Published in «Byelorusskaya Delovaya Gazeta» (The Byelorussian Business Newspaper) Newspaper, #1095,
January 16, 2002
There are only two protected territories in Belarus awarded by European Diploma: Berezinski Biosphere Reserve and Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park. European Diploma not only creates the uniform model of preservation and development for awarded territories, but it also promotes the changing an opinion to nature protection in relevant countries. The correspondent of «BDG» has decided to clear up what is a progress of this business after five years come out since the Belovezhskaya Pushcha has been granted by this very responsible and encouraging award.
Valery Dranchuk, the editor-chief of «Belovezhskaya Pushcha» Newspaper:
— We thought for a long time whether it is necessary to ask the Council of Europe to delay the decision?
Anybody of us does not doubt of high natural and cultural importance of the Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Moreover, the possession of such a Diploma is an honour for Belarus. But as the fact there is a tendency of total commercialization of nature protection site. I got convinced of it visiting the Pushcha many times. We would not be alarmed if the Diploma has been awarded for the first time. At that case it would be recognized as a mark of encouragement of measures on protection of the Pushcha. But the probation period lasted five years is over. Overall previous rules and recommendations have not been carried out. And if the Diploma is renewed, the administration of national park using it as a cover, will safely follow the former line: to turn the reserve into the timber enterprise.
The scientist and ornithologist Vladimir Dackevich was born in the Pushcha. His parents and his brother deal with protection of reserved forest. He has been working here more than forty years.
— Belovezhskaya Pushcha is not worthy of the Diploma because it lost the nature protection validity long time ago, since the pseudo-melioration was done, Vladimir Dackevich supposes. — Water has left, the forest has is dying, while large-scale cuttings only quicken its death. Unique forest stands are perishing. And only human economic activity is at fault. Now I am committing circumstances of the destruction to the scientific paper. I was engaged in propagation of the Pushcha myself, but then I understood that it was not necessary to propagandize, but only to show the following fact — the Pushcha suffers and it is at the death end.
Since Nickolai Bambiza was nominated a leader of the national park, about 150 employees were dismissed during half a year. Someone was fired because of drinking or of a labour order offence. But among the employees who lost the job there were high-skilled experts also. Dismissal of the Philosophy Doctor of Biology, deputy director on science Heorhi Kazulka connected with ending the work contract can be considered as the red point in the history of the Belovezhskaya Pushcha. It means that the policy in respect of science and researches has changed.
— I asked to transfer me to the scientific department as a research worker, Heorhi Kazulka tells. — And I made a postscript at the end of the application form I addressed to the head office: «I hope my principal position concerning cuttings of the forest will not become a reason for the refusal». But the resolution on the application form was «To dismiss», although there is no person of young or middle age with the scientific degree in the scientific department.
No other job was offered to Heorhi Kazulka because, as he supposes, he disobeyed the heads. Heorhi Kazulka and Evgeniy Smoktunovich, former general director of the National Park, were members of the commission which examined the legality of forest cuttings, and they voted «against» as its session was hold.
— Forest cuttings have always been conducted, Heorhi Kazulka says. — A precedent is as methods of forest enterprises are unacceptable for the reserve. Protected territories are created for the purposes to save up ecosystems and biodiversity. Timber enterprises plant and grow up a forest for industrial harvesting.
— How dangerous is the invasion of bark beetles for the Pushcha?
— This is the calamity for Pushcha, but on the other hand, it is the natural phenomenon arisen periodically. There are some explanations to this: the large-scale drainage of surrounding lands and excessive number of ungulates which consume a bark of other tree species breeds and promote an intervention of the spruce into the forest. There are scientific techniques concerning the prevention and the slacking the mass appearance of bark beetles, but the priority is given to economic activity in the park. Instead of solving, problems till reach a deadlock.
Vasiliy Sudas, Deputy Manager of the Property Management Department of the President of the Republic of Belarus:
— I responsibly declare that there is no any industrial harvesting the timber in the State Nature Protection Institution «The National Park »Belovezhskaya Pushcha«. It can be confirmed by a dozen of journalists from various mass-medias including representatives of the »The Byelorussian Business Newspaper« which participated in the press-conference hold in the Pushcha in the middle of December, 2001. They got an opportunity personally to learn the situation in the National Park and to visit different sites within the forest including its most strictly reserved part. Read their articles published in newspapers.
Now experts are warried about problems of the struggle with bark beetle and preservation / protection of spruce forests. The program on the struggle with this pest is being developed and we would like to address to international organizations including the Council of Europe, in order to get any possible help.
I do not know what were the motives of those who signed this appeal, but from the human point of view I think of it as lacking the true civil position because the Belovezhskaya Pushcha is not only the national property, but the European and international one as well.