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Description
80% of Poland’s forests are publicly owned, yet 75% of citizens want to reduce the areas where trees are cut down in a systemic way. Nevertheless, recent practices of public institutions undermines civil society’s ability to monitor the way forestry management is done. Inquiries and comments submitted at the stage of public consultations of Forest Management Plans, are not binding, and thus almost always ignored.Moreover Decisions approving FMPs are not the subject to appeal in court.The purpose of the project is to increase public participation in the decision making processes related to the management of publicly owned forests in Poland. That’s why we will take action at local, national and EU level. The project will be implemented in partnership with two organizations experienced in public participation, activism as well as watchdog activities related to publicly owned forests management.As part of the project, we will monitor local government practices in making decisions concerning public forests as well as analyze urban forest regulations in this field. Based on that we will draft catalogue of best practices related to cooperation of local governments with stakeholders which will influence the citizens to take action and engage in deciding about the fate of public forests. In exercising our right of access to public information, we will examine the comments submitted in the forest management plans consultations.In case of refusal to provide necessary information, we will take legal action.The following areas of advocacy work have been identified in the scope of this project: ensuring the implementation of the law to information; strengthening the instruments at local government level; ensuring EUs forest policies’ support for civil society’s participation. The project’s implementation will increase the influence of pro-environmental organizations in making decisions concerning public forests and strengthen the legal framework in this area in a long term.
Summary of project results
Forests cover nearly one-third of Poland, with most under public ownership. They are vital for climate change mitigation, as emphasized in EU policies like the European Green Deal, Biodiversity Strategy, and Forest Strategy. However, the State Forests (Lasy Państwowe, LP) face criticism from conservationists, scientists, and the public, with 45.4% holding negative views.
Public demand for participation in forest decision-making is rising, with 79.2% of Poles supporting greater involvement. Local groups, urban movements, and municipalities have become more active, initiating over 70 forest interventions last year. However, systemic barriers, such as poorly implemented legal guarantees for access to information and justice, hinder effective oversight. Watchdog organizations report frequent refusals by LP to share environmental data. Public consultations on Forest Management Plans (FMPs) often ignore societal input, reducing their impact.
A key issue is the inability to challenge FMPs in court, breaching EU law. This prompted the European Commission to file a complaint with the CJEU in 2020. The Aarhus Convention Committee is also reviewing a related citizen complaint. While EU mechanisms offer potential remedies, weak coordination between grassroots organizations and EU stakeholders limits progress in enforcing civic oversight.
The following actions were undertaken: Enforcing Access to Information and Participation in Forest Decisions; Sixty-four decisions by State Forests’ forest districts refusing access to environmental information were legally challenged to establish a clear judicial precedent. Additionally, a report was prepared with recommendations for public institutions on improving the provision of information to the public.
Strengthening Collaboration Between Local Governments and Forest Advocacy Groups:
A series of meetings between activists and local government representatives were organized. Support was provided to municipalities to help them protect forests from excessive logging. An analysis of municipal involvement in forest conservation was conducted, resulting in the creation of a practical guide for local governments on forest protection.
Monitoring and Advocacy at the EU Level: The project engaged with key EU legislative processes impacting forests. Polish organizations were provided with critical information about these processes and mobilized to participate during key decision-making moments within EU institutions.
The project produced several advocacy statements on EU processes, including one supported by 55 NGOs regarding the Nature Restoration Law and another endorsed by 35 NGOs concerning the Renewable Energy Directive (RED).
As a result of these efforts, systemic violations of environmental information laws by State Forests were exposed. Productive collaborations between activists and local governments were initiated in several areas. Additionally, national organizations’ engagement at the EU level significantly increased. Ensuring the sustainability of these results will require ongoing work, which the organizations responsible for the project are committed to continuing.