Protection of nature in Poland has a centuries-old tradition. The oldest law concerning the protection of wild animals comes from the time of the first King of Poland, Boleslaw Chrobry (eleventh century AD), and relates to the prohibition of hunting beavers. King Kazimierz Wielki, in the Piotrków-Wiślica Statutes, ordered the protection of forests, while Wladyslaw Jagiello in 1423 introduced to the Warta Statute provisions on the protection of yew and “large animals” and wild game protection periods. The dukes of Mazovia took special care of aurochs, and they even set up a special guard to protect it. King Zygmunt I, in the Statute of Lithuania (1523), took protection over, inter alia, bison, aurochs, beaver, falcon and swan.
A modern approach to nature protection was initiated in the nineteenth century, which was caused by rapid development of industry, urbanisation and intensification of agriculture. Predatory activity conducted by people brought about the deforestation of large areas, soil erosion, changes in water balance and environmental pollution, and thus profound and often irreversible changes in the natural environment.
In Poland in the 1920s, many nature reserves were created. In 1923, restitution of wisent in the Bialowieza Forest began, and in 1932, the following two first national parks within the territory of Poland were designated: ”Bialowieza National Park”, covering part of the Bialowieza Forest, and ”Pieniny National Park”, covering Pieniny.
In 1939 in Poland, in addition to the listed national parks, 211 nature reserves and hundreds of monuments of nature existed. After World War II, the first Nature Protection Act was enacted in 1949. In 1991, a new act was enacted in which the following forms of nature protection were added: landscape parks, protected landscape areas, documentation sites, ecological sites and nature and landscape complexes. Currently, the act of 16 April 2004 on the protection of nature applies.
Forms of environmental protection in Poland within the meaning of the Act of 16 April 2004 on the protection of nature are:
national parks (specific areas of outstanding natural, scientific, social, cultural and educational values, with an area of ??not less than 1,000 ha, where all nature and landscape values are protected. National parks are created under the Regulation of the Council of Ministers. Currently in Poland, there are 23 national parks covering more than 3,000 km², which represents about 1% of the country’s area);
nature reserves (the most important form of nature protection after national parks, designated under the order of the regional director of environmental protection. Currently in Poland, there are over 1,400 nature reserves, covering around 0.5% of the country’s area. Human activities in national parks and nature reserves may be conducted only in places designated in the protection plan, which is drawn up for a period of 20 years);
landscape parks (a less restrictive form of nature protection as compared to national parks or nature reserves, created under the resolution of the voivodeship council. Economic activity may be conducted within the landscape park area, but there is a catalogue of prohibitions that may be introduced by persons managing that form of nature protection. Currently in Poland, there are 121 landscape parks covering approximately 8.3% of the country’s area);
protected landscape areas (areas of outstanding natural, landscape and cultural values and diverse ecosystems, valuable for their tourist and recreational attractions or forming ecological corridors. These areas are designated under the resolution of the voivodeship council. Currently on Polish territory, 384 protected landscape areas, covering over 22% of the country’s area, are designated);
Natura 2000 areas (currently, the European Natura 2000 network in Poland includes 141 special protection areas for birds, covering 15.6% of the country's land area, and 823 special areas of habitats protection, representing 11.05% of Polish land. In total, Natura 2000 areas occupy approximately 19.7% of the land area. Supervision of Natura 2000 areas or proposed areas relevant for the community is held by the regional director of environmental protection in the area of ??its competence. Sea areas are supervised by the director of the maritime office, and where the area lies wholly or includes part of a national park, the director of that park. More information about the European ecological network Natura 2000 in Poland can be found at:
natural monuments (individual objects of an animate and inanimate nature or their agglomeration, presenting particular protection, scientific, cultural or landscape values - such as single trees or shrubs, distinctive for their venerable age, size or other unique features, historic avenues as well as large glacial boulders, rocks, grottos, caves, springs, etc. In Poland, more than 34,000 objects are covered by this type of legal protection);
documentation sites (location of geological formations, accumulation of fossils or mineral formations, important in terms of research and teaching, and the location of the fossil remains of plants or animals. Currently in Poland, there are 240 of these sites);
ecological sites (valuable in terms of nature, but are not eligible to be covered by nature reserve protection, are the areas forming remnants of ecosystems which are relevant for the protection of biological diversity, such as natural bodies of water, mid-field and mid-forest ponds, clumps of trees and shrubs, swamps, bogs, dunes, strands of rare or protected plants, animals and fungi, etc. In Poland in 2009, there were 6,628 ecological lands);
nature and landscape complexes (parks smaller than landscape parks, including fragments of natural and cultural landscapes, which are protected due to their scenic and aesthetic values. In Poland, this form of protection covers 287 areas);
protection of species of plants, animals and fungi (intended to maintain a favourable protection status of wild species of plants, animals and fungi and their habitats and preserve species and genetic diversity. Species of wild plants under protection are specified in the Regulation of the Ministry of the Environment of 9 July 2004, Journal of Laws of 2004, No. 168, item 1764 [PL]. Species of wild animals under protection are specified in the Regulation of the Ministry of the Environment of 28 September 2004, Journal of Laws of 2004, No. 220, item 2237 [PL]. Species wild fungi under protection are specified in the Regulation of the Ministry of the Environment of 9 July 2004, Journal of Laws of 2004, No 168, item1765 [PL]):
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