Railway against the Bialowieza Forest*
Joanna Chanilo, "Kurier Poranny" (Poland), October 18, 2005
*(The article is about the Polish part of the Bialowieza Forest, note by the website editor)
The Polish Bialowieza National Park (BNP) brings into operation a narrow-gauge railway across the forest. The railway, by the way, crosses protected territories.
This is one of those actions that compel to put a question about the aim of the National Park existence. What should be there - protection of the nature or its devastation? Director of the BNP is hardly pushing the realization of the project, in spite of many preconditions and in defiance of negative opinions stated by people and organizations working on the field of nature protection. It is going on in spite of financial deficit of the BNP, and even with attempts to avoid procedures obligatory for bringing the railway into operation.
The narrow-gauge railway is going to be about 15 kilometers long and stretches from Old Bialowieza to the Gluszec range. According to BNP, the purposes of creation of the railway are varying. Usually it is stated, that it will be used to carry environmental education in combination with information on the railway's history in the Bialowieza Forest. In such a context commerce is underlined as not going to take place. Bit other time, though much less often, it is mentioned about gaining the profit, being exploiting the railway, and serving almost everyone who will become interested in it.
- There are many signals indicating great interest in the railway. I think that it should be accessible to all and no monopolization should be set. This declaration made by Jozef Popiel, director of the BNP, is quite clearly showing most likely further development. The second version is clear also if cooperation of the Park with hotel business and with a brewing company is taken into consideration. Those companies are focusing rather on gaining the profit. There are more and more warnings heard regarding overcommercialization of the Bialowieza Forest.
A decision came from the top
The project was created at the "top" (in the head of the Director J. Popiel), avoiding advices of organizations dealing with the Bialowieza Forest, even without accepting opinion of the Scientific Board of the BNP. By the way, Scientific Board was completely ignored. What for to ask the Board's opinion, if the project is already in operation, the Director Popiel says, although, in one of the previous letters concerning the narrow-gauge railway, he had recollected the necessity to arrange that "important formality".
Meanwhile more and more negative opinions about the project are rumored. Everything indicates that the railway should not pass through the Forest but at least at its edge. Bringing into operation this narrow-gauge railway will negatively influence the animals disturbing their life. The threat to a wolf population can be a case:
- The wolf is a species sensitive to human presence and the narrow-gauge railway means blocking of its westward migration ways - says Karol Zub from the Mammal Research Institute in Bialowieza. In relation to the planned removal of state border fence, the wolf will cross the Belarusian frontier where this species is not protected at all. The consequences can be imagined...
Even the EcoFund Foundation has objections. This fund co-finances the project. – This is rather unusual project, running in a valuable natural area and should be carefully evaluated by independent and reliable team of the experts, underlined recently Ireneusz Mirowski from the EcoFund Foundation.
A report without contact with real life
Indeed, the project was implemented for a quite long time, despite of the fact, that one the most important and obligatory documents – a report on environmental impact was missing. Such evaluation was done only two months ago. However the document is not credible from many points of view. Even during superficial reading strikes the fact, that its author, dr Lech Dzienis expert affiliated by Podlasie voivode, gets round all the most important conditions of the investment. In this way, for example, the report does not examine the possibility to infringe a protection status of the Reserve and National Park at all and even has no mention that the Forest is an area which is going to be protected by the European Union as part of the Natura 2000 network. Meanwhile, one of the EU Directives obliges to take special care about such areas. The Report does not mention at all about how the railway will affect animals and plants' lives, although this kind of evaluation should be taken into consideration first of all. Neither the author examine personal ranges of protected species at all. The report does not take into consideration possible social conflicts, in spite of the fact that one of the regional newspapers earlier published an article mentioning such protests. It sounds like a joke, when author is pondering influence of noise level in respect to … urban areas, although the narrow-gauge railway crosses the Bialowieza Forest's centre.
One of the local activists on nature protection notices that such the construction could legally take place, only if it fulfills three conditions: the project is aimed on superior public aim, there are no alternative methods of its realization, and that compensation for damage of the nature will be done. As to the case of that particular railway, any of these conditions are fulfilled.
Without money and license
Since the beginning of the railway construction, the BNP struggles with financial problems. The total investment was planned for about 160 thousand zlotys. According to Jozef Popiel, the EcoFund Foundation is going to allocate a greatest financial part - 100 thousand zlotys. However the Foundation is not willing to confirm the information:
- A contract was signed for 40 thousand zlotys. That is the cost of end railway station. This is the only fact, which connects us with this project. We hardly understand why the BNP at each place refers to our support for the project. Apart from this, we promised to allocate money only if Park will legally bring the railway into operation before the end of the next year. But this is in my opinion impossible, Ireneusz Mirowski says. I think, that we eventually will not finance the project and I do not know from where the Park will obtain money then.
Simultaneously with the project realization, the Park also negotiates with representatives of various businesses: previously a hotel operator was going to finance this project, recently a contract with brewing company has already been signed.
One of the conditions set for the Park by the EcoFund Foundation is also obtaining by the park all of the obligatory license for railway operation. Even before preparing the report on environmental impact (!) the BNP has got permission of the Minister of Environment and of Voivode Conservator of Nature Protection. But safety license of the railway and overall infrastructure necessary for people transportation licensing was lacking. By the end of June, the director of the BNP was announcing, that its obtaining is a business of a few months. Now, after time is over, he repeats the same. In spite of the fact that the BNP did not even for legalization license, an official trip by the narrow-gauge railway was already held during the II Municipal Forum.
- It is more and more clear that the railway is brought into operation by means of force. The worst is, that it is going to take place, at the expense of nature of the most known wood national park in Europe. They say that trips inside the Park will not affect a natural environment. But let everyone imagine a potential situation when someone lives for all life in his liked house with a backyard, where he invites relatives and friends. He has the quiet life and suddenly finds out that a railway should be laid across this garden, even used only once per month. Sure, that man will become strongly protesting because it will be intervention into one of his most important values, which cannot be destroyed. Animals can only leave out. The tourists who came here even from distant countries in searching of wild nature … will follow them. I do not know who and for what is so interested in this project – recapitulate one of the BNP's employee.
The Association for Landscape Protection from Hajnowka has also become interested in the project. Irena Parfieniuk, the ALP secretary, has informed us that nearly two weeks ago the Association has addressed a letter to the BNP's director with the request for getting access the environmental impact, and also an offer for meeting. The ALP has received no answer till now.
Joanna Chanilo (Poland)
Jchanilo(antispam@)poranny.pl