Consumers of the Belovezhskaya Pushcha
The article by Marina Zagorskaya,
Published in «Byelorusskaya Delovaya Gazeta» (The Byelorussian Business Newspaper) Newspaper, #1095,
January 16, 2002
«Chips» from Belovezhskaya Pushcha can reach the Council of Europe
The question of prolongation of the European Diploma's validity for the National Park «Belovezhskaya Pushcha» should be examined at the Council of Europe in the near future. However, on January 14th, representatives of the Belarusian public, scientists and democrats, appealed the experts not to make a too optimistic assessment or take a haste decision because the quality of the natural site has noticeably decreased, because the authorities use this prestigious award, the Diploma, for covering activities «diametrically opposed to the preservation of Belovezhskaya Pushcha».
The persons signing the appeal believe that prolonging the validity term of the Diploma will only untie hands of economic planners working in the National Park. According to protesters, nature in Belovezhskaya Pushcha is out of protection for a long time, because it is industrially exploited. This can bring destruction of the most important reserved area in Belarus.
Today average age of trees in the Belovezhskaya Pushcha is 110 years. But some forest stands are two and a half centuries old! 90 percent of forests have been formed avoiding anthropogenic influence. The reserve became most famous among protected territories on the European continent during the last decade. In 1992, UNESCO recognized a part of the Pushcha as World Heritage Site. In 1993 Pushcha was given the status of Biosphere Reserve and in 1997, was awarded the Council of Europe Diploma. This prestigious international award emphasizes biological and landscape variety and, of course, efficiency of protection and management on this territory.
As a rule, the validity of the Diploma is prolonged for five years if all requirements formulated when the Diploma was granted have been fulfilled. It can be withdrawn if a laureate ignores recommendations. Though rare, there are such cases in history. Belovezhskaya Pushcha may find itself among those losing the Diploma because, as protesters assert, «industrial, economic and timber harvesting sector have ousted even tiny efforts to protect biodiversity of the reserve».
Belarusian «greens» link industrial and economic pressure on this specially protected territory with a financial debt. The National Park administration took on a large credit after the Park came under jurisdiction of the Property Management Department of the President. In 1999, when Ivan Titenkov was the head manager, a second-hand high capacity sawmill was bought from a German businessman (on credit) and was set up in Kamenyuki village. For some time nobody had the courage to give expensive wood for board production, but debts keep «pressing» on.
Possibly for the purpose of improving the financial situation, the head manager of the Park was replaced some months ago. Nickolai Bambiza, famous for his industrial development of the «Pripyatski» National Park, took over Belovezhskaya Pushcha, from Evegeny Smoktunovich, a forester by descendance who offered to remove the sawmill from the National park.
In 2001 harvesting the living forest within the protected territory intensified and information about intentions to start sanitary clear cuttings spread. According to the official version, only dead wood is cut. Other sources say the active struggle with the bark beetle has also started. These beetles consume the layer between bark and wood, causing the trees to dry. In order to prevent appearance of new centers of contagion, the order to cut down the forest on a 50 hectares area was issued. This happened immediately after an expert of the Council of Europe who learned the situation in Pushcha left the National park. Organizers of the green action «Press-tours in defense of the Aarhus Convention» did not receive permission to visit the reserve. Inhabitants of the Belovezhskaya Pushcha were also not successful in addressing directly to the President of the country. However, a press-conference was organized for representatives of mass-media and they have been taken to the sites where bark beetles are active. Besides this, Nickolai Bambiza informed journalists that the annual volume of sanitary cuttings makes up to approximately 50 thousand cubic meters. Last year about 47 thousand cubic meters have been cut. But cuttings were suspended after a special commission was sent to investigate. The commission visited the Pushcha only after scientists made a protest and after UNESCO addressed the Belarusian government and requested official explanations. Employees of the Park who raised their voices against infringement of basic rules of nature protection were consequently dismissed.
Activists signing the appeal (among them: academician Radzim Garetzki, People's Poet of Belarus Nil Gilevich, writer Svetlana Alexeevich, chief editor of «Belovezhskaya Pushcha» Newspaper Valery Dranchuk, scientist and ornithologist Vladimir Dackevich who worked in the Belovezhskaya Pushcha for forty years) proposed rescheduling the agenda, holding talks on the situation in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, and acceptance of a reasonable decision after a thorough investigation and a dialogue with the public are organized.