The cutting of best living old-age forest in the National Park «Belovezhskaya Pushcha» is carried out now
The article by Valentina Kozlovich ,
Published in BelaPAN Company, Minsk
January 4, 2003
This is what Heorhi Kazulka, a biologist and previous Scientific Deputy Director in the National Park declared.
According to Heorhi Kazulka, the felling of these trees is done secretly and labeled as «forestry-activities». For instance, in spring 2002 hundreds of old, absolutely healthy and genetically valuable trees were felled. This felling included some of the tallest giant spruces. In May of that year Kazulka found logged vital pine-trees in the Pashukovskoe forestry. And in the autumn of 2002, the mass logging of pine-trees in many parts of the Koroliovo-Mostovskoe forestry was continued. Now, according to the scientist, in this forestry you can find a clear felling of elite old forest.
Besides the cutting of healthy trees, they even did cut permanent scientific plots for monitoring, so argues Kazulka. «These plots existed for more than 30 years and played an important role in scientific research. Thanks to the scientific work on these plots, they as a part of Biosphere Reserve have a Certificate of UNESCO awarded the Pushcha. Technological discipline continues to be roughly violating though the mass infection of bark beetle is present in Pushcha. After felling, the trees remained on the ground for months. Even special trap-wood (for catching bark beetles) was not removed or debarked, thus helping to spread the infection of bark-beetles. Why did they cut these trees? Was it to spread more bark-beetles?» Those are the questions which puzzled Kazulka during a conversation with the correspondent of BelaPAN.
«They destroy the primeval forest remorselessly» is the conviction of Kazulka, «and it's done within the secrecy far away of the rest of the world, ignoring and violating the nature-conservation legislation». The timber factory, which is built in the Kamenyuki village, represents, so said the scientist, «a fatal danger to the Belovezhskaya Pushcha». The only way to rescue the Pushcha is to draw the attention of all international organizations to this problem, thinks Kazulka. National appeals of scientists and representatives of the public did not bring any result.
Meanwhile, at the end of January 2004, the European Commission of the Department of Natural and Cultural Heritage is discussing the implementation of recommendations of European Diploma by European Parks and Reserves. Different European Parks, like the Belovezhskaya Pushcha, have got a diploma of the European Communion, which means they have to be managed in a certain way. If the felling goes on, violations in the Pushcha can be a topic for discussion at the European Session.
Vladimir Tolkach, who is nowadays acting the scientific Deputy Director of the National park, says during a telephone conversation with the correspondent, did not confirm a case of cutting the elite forest. «I do not know these facts. It is not right to say that clear cutting is carried Koroliovo-Mostovskoe forestry. Though some clear cutting can be conducted in other places, but these are connected with trees attacked by bark beetles.
And Irina Smalyuk, the engineer of the Forest Department of the Park, also does not confirm the information about clear cuttings of the forest in the Koroliovo-Mostovskoe forestry. The only thing they did, so she declared, «was to clean the wind-fallen forest. This was not violating the nature protection legislation in the Pushcha».
Heorhi Kazulka replies that that is nonsense: «There are has numerous facts and proofs of illegal cuttings and violations of the nature protection legislation in the Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park. It can be confirmed in a case if it is necessarily.»