INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL INSTITUTIONS (IDARI)
IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES
PROJECT UNDER THE EU 5TH FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME
Contract number: QLK5-CT-2002-02718
WORKPACKAGE 3:
SOCIAL CAPITAL, GOVERNANCE AND RURAL INSTITUTIONAL INNOVATIONS
Cooperation in an environmentally protected area
Drawa National Park case study
Background paper
Piotr Matczak, Ilona Banaszak, Viktoria Takacs
Poznań, December 2004
1. Introduction
Drawa National Park is situated in West North part of Poland, at the border three administrative regions (voiwodships): Zachodniopomorskie; Lubuskie; Wielkopolskie. The region is rich of forests and lakes, relatively less populated compared with other parts of the country, not industrialized, with low level of agriculture activity.
1.1. A brief history of the area
The area was a borderland between Poland and Germany (Brandenburg) since 19th century. In 19th century most of the area was a part of Prussia. The borderland character of the area resulted with low level of human impact and relatively good state of the nature. In 17th century wars caused depopulation of the area. In 19th century an irrigation system was established and the proportion of agriculture use of the land increased. However, from the middle of 19th century a depopulation process started again, strengthened in 20th century by the World Wars. As the result of the II World War most of the population (German inhabitants) in the area was evacuated and later populated by settlers from East and Central Poland.
In XX proportion of forested area increased, earlier cultivated areas were left and here the process of reforestation started. Reforestation flows were connected with the collapse of sheep breeding, the world wars, and economic crises.
1.2. Establishment of the park
Some parts of the park were preserved already in 1930th. After the 2nd World War the reserves network was sustained. First ideas of the National Park establishment appeared in late 1940ties among canoers visiting the region. In 1946 Maria Podhorska – Okołów, a well-known activist of the Polish Kayaking Union submitted a stipulation for protection of costal zones of Brda and Drawa Rivers, two most beautiful rivers in the Northern Poland. Although those postulates were not accomplished, they bared in minds of environmentalists. At the end of 1960s areas along the Drawa River appeared as a subject of discussion of botanists from Szczecin, leaded by M. Jasnowski. Simultaneously with carried out by them biological research, they designed a nature reserve called “Drawa River”. Eventually this proposal was accepted by the state authorities in 1974. The Reserve covered the Drawa River valley from Drawno to Kamienna towns.
At the end of 1970s environmentalists from Gorzów, Szczecin and Poznań started an idea to establish a national park along all the above mentioned nature reserves. Physiological research which documented environmental values of that areas, support from local authorities as well as persistent actions of a few activists (among other: J. and M. Jasnowski, L. Agapow, J. Jackowski, H. Kujawa, B. Wiatr, M and Z. Tracz) the National Park become established in 1990. Establishment procedure can be treated as a relatively fast considering typical circumstances. In the meantime, in 1988 a few most precious sites were recognised as temporary nature reserves.
1.3. Nature conservation significance of the Drawa National Park
The National Park was created on the 1st of May 1990 as 16th of polish national parks.[1] It is fulfilling the requirements of IUCN II category. The Park is situated in NW Poland, Pomeranian Lake District, Drawa River outwash plain. Most of the area (79%) is a woodland, 10% is covered by water, 5% by abandoned fields and meadows, and 6% by others.
The Drawa National Park represents the typical landscape of postglacial outwash plain, with complicated net of gullies, partially filled by lakes. The plain is covered by big forest complex. As a result, Drawa National Park represents "forest and lakes" landscape, typical for the Polish Lake District.
In Drawa National Park water ecosystems and wetlands (about 15% of the area) represent a high nature value. The two main rivers - Drawa and Płociczna – can be characterised as young post-glacial landscape, because of their rapid current, relative stability of annual flux, winding river-bed. Lakes of the Park represents almost the whole typology units: from mesotrophic lakes with stoneworts (Charales) “meadows” on its bottom, through eutrophic to distrophic peatbog lakes. Swamp communities also varying: from lake-adjoining marshes, through moss communities on a chalk-bed, to peatbogs. Swamps supplied by spring waters are quite common. Most forests of the Drawa National Park became transformed by the XIXth and XXth century forestry. But some natural fragments remained of the natural rich beech woods, acid lowland beech woods, acidophil oak-beach woods, oligotrophic, naturally renewing pine stands, stream-adjoining alder woods. In Radęcin reserve one of the best preserved natural beech forest of Central Europe can be found with beech trees up to 47 m high and 300 years old.
The flora of the Drawa National Park consists of 1005 species of vascular plants, including rare species: for example Chamaedaphne calyculata (one of 10 Polish localities is in the Park). There are 27 native tree species recorded. Five species are mentioned in EU habitat directive.
In the Park 200 species of mosses can be found, including rear species for Poland: Dicranum bergeri, Sphagnum tenellum, Sphagnum fuscum, 6 species are on the Polish Red list and 17 species are included in EU Habitat directive.
Above 206 species of lichens, including rare in Poland: Lecania sylvestris, Micraea intrusa, Opegrapha subparalella, Arthonia aspersella, Aspicilla excavata occurred in the Park. 58 of them are included in Polish Red data Book and 6 species in EU Habitat Directive.
Numerous species of fungi, among them 21 included in the Polish Red Data Book, can also be found.
On the area 224 plant communities were recorded. 51 of these communities are included in EU habitat directive.
Fauna of Drawa National Park is also characteristic for the biotopes occurring there.
About 40 species of mammals live there, including numerous population of rare in Poland: otter (Lutra lutra) and beaver (Castor fiber) is recorded. 26 mammal species are included in Polish Red Data Book, and 15 in EU Habitat Directive.
On this area 160 bird species were recorded, out of them ca 130 breeding species, including rare species in Poland like Haliaetus albicillaPandion haliaetus Aquilla clanga, Bubo bubo. Most of these species are included in Bern Convention (2 species in Appendix 2 and 93 species in Appendix 3) and a lot of them mentioned in Bird Directive (25 species in Appendix 1, 10 species in Appendix II/1, 16 species in Appendix II/2 2 species in Appendix III/1 and 8 species in Appendix III/2, respectively).
About 37 species of fishes noted from Drawa National Park, including rarities on a national scale: Salmo salar, Salmo trutta, Thymallus thymallus, Vimba vimba, Coregonus lavaretus, Coregonus albula. 9 species are included in EU Habitat Directive (among them 5 species in Appendix II and 6 species in Appendix V, respectively).
Also numerous interesting species of invertebrates were recorded from the orders of Trichoptera, Ephemeroptera, Odonata, Cerambycidae.
14 biotopes of Drawa National Park are included in Annex I to Habitat Directive as "biotopes of special importance of Europe". These are the following:
-meso-oligotrophic lakes with stonewort,
-natural eutrophic lakes with Potamogeton-type vegetation,
-dystrophic lakes, rivers vegetation with Ranunculus (Batrachium),
-wet and fresh meadows Corynephorus grassland and heathlands, raised bogs, calcareous fens with Cladium mariscus and Carex davalliana,
-acidophil beech forest Luzulo-Fagetum, rich beech forest Asperulo-Fagetum, alluvial forests (Alno-Padion),
-Cratoneuron petrifying springs.
Currently the Drawa National Park is one of the 23 National Parks in Poland, a part of the Ecological Network, with high nature values and as such it is essential to protect it for preserving the overall biodiversity of the country.
2. Problem statement
2.1. Developmental context
Taking into account the economic circumstances, the prospects of the Drawa National Park area are fuzzy. The level of unemployment is high – 23%, which is higher than average for the country. The economic crises at the beginning of 1990s connected with the change of economic system was deeper in the areas far from the business centres. The region does not have internal resources allowing for the economic spin-off. As a result, local authorities are searching for any kind of impulse bringing employment and economic activity. It is difficult however, because of lack of endogenous resources and lack of sufficient external resources. The fact is that Polish regional policy is weak in terms of development tools, especially in case of a region which has low protest potential. It means that there are higher chance for help for industrialized regions (like Silesia) but less for rural and “remoted” areas.
As a mater of fact, the natural state of the environment and the National Park appear to be an important (maybe the most important) development agent of the region. Such path of development involves balancing the nature protection and economic goals.
2.2. Nature conservation context
Drawa Nation Park has been established in a relatively natural area. However the are some dangers for the Park. Firstly, the primer biological diversity has been reduced (as a result of human cultivation). It results with less biological viability, for example, planted forests are more fragile than natural ones – there is a lower chance of self recovering after fires, pests. For young forest plantation abundance of deers can be dangerous. Secondly, results of human activities are more crucial. Dispersed sources of pollutions cause accumulation of heavy metals and pesticides in lakes. Increasing tourist industry enhances this process.
In 1999 a biologically precious part Cieszynka Valley was meliorated. Local and regional authorities gave permission for this in spite of protests of local inhabitants and scientists. Naturalists alarm that the policy of the National Park is exploitative. The level of logging is exciding the safety level. Even the remaining of primary forest areas are logged. This policy was proposed to be sanctioned by the prepared Park Protection Plan. The extent of wood exploitation seems to be the main conflict issue concerning park.
The quality of the nature in the Drawa National Park seems to be endangered by economic activity (esp. logging). At the same time, the park is one of few resources giving a chance for spin-off for development (mainly through tourism) of the region.
To summarise: The main tension concerning the Drawa National Park is the conflict between the nature protection and economic activities. To a certain extent such a tension is typical for many national park worldwide. It is not the conflict itself but the way it is managed, what is to be investigated. Bargaining procedures are not efficient, and the main stakeholders do not trust each other. Years lasting process seems bringing finally some co-operation, however. Thus, special emphasis is put on the role of institutions in the conflict resolution (or enhancing).
2.3. Main actors
Main stakeholders active in a the nature protection and development of the region are the following:
a)Park administration.
b)Park Advisory Council. It is nominated by the Ministry of Environment.
c)National Board of National Parks – governmental institution established to manage national parks policies.
d)Lubuski Klub Przyrodników (Lubuski Naturalists’ Club). Nature Protection NGO, focused on education and research. Strongly involved in the nature protection in the Park, where has a educational station.
e)Salamandra - a nature protection association; Zachodniopomorskie Towarzystwo Ornitologiczne (West Pomeranian Ornithological Association). Both are NGOs involved in nature protection.
f)Local farmers
g)Local inhabitants
h)Academic institutions: Koszalin Technical University; Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań; University of Szczecin.
i)Drawa Landscape Reserve
j)Drawski Powiat Association for Socio-Economic Initiatives
k)Local self-governments (gmina)
l)County level of self-governments (powiat)
m)Regional governmental administrations and regional self-governments (urząd marszałkowski and marszałek; urząd wojewódzki, wojewoda, Regionalny Zarząd Gospodarki Wodnej, Wojewódzki Konserwator Przyrody)
n)Lasy Państwowe (National Forests – state agency managing the forests).
o)Media
2.4. Issues
The main conflict in the Drawa National Park concerns:
1)the style of nature conservation vs economic use of natural resources
2)the protection of the nature vs economic activity
The conflicts are briefly described below.
2.4.1. The conflict on the conservation (conservation vs economic use of natural resources)
In 1996 Nature Protection Plan Commission for the park was established. Several management plans (on land ecosystems protection, water ecosystems protection etc.) were ordered (with tendering procedure applied). Commission expressed doubts about the plans, especially emphasising the lack of nature protection foundations in the management plan on forest. In 1997 a grant from EkoFund allowed to prepare more reports on nature protection issues. At the meetings of the council several critics were stated concerning the management plans. Moreover the plans were not coherent. Finally in 1999, a tender for preparation of a synthesis of the management plans was started. The synthesis was prepared and finally approved by the Nature Protection Plan Commission. It also received a positive opinion from academic institutions, and no objections from the local self-governments. In 2000 unexpectedly to naturalists, National Board of National Parks stopped the Plan and asked for introduction of amendments. In the meantime a change of the nature protection law created a new situation: a nature protection plan was to be a legal decision of a minister of environment. It left more power to the National Board of National Parks. In 2001 a new Drawa National Park Council was established. Lubuski Klub Przyrodników, an NGO strongly involved in research and education in the park, was supported by seven NGOs as proposed representative of NGOs in the council. However, former regional nature conservation director, representing Polish Hunter’s Association and a former regional governor (at the time a member of Senate) got the seats. After protests and media alert the minister published nature protection plans for public consultation. The published documents were strongly criticised by nature conservationists. Lubuski Klub Przyrodników undertook several actions (legal and informal) claiming the conduct of the management of the Park as dangerous for the nature protection. The Klub criticizes actions of the Ministry which gave fishermen access to all the lakes in the Park, removing all deadwoods, cutting some forest areas, reduction of some hunting animals’ populations and other. The Klub was partially successful. In 2002 new members of the council are chosen - from the Klub and other nature protection NGO: Zachodniopomorskie Towarzystwo Ornitologiczne (Zachodniopomorskie Ornithological Association). In 2003 new projects of ministerial nature protection plans were published for the consultation.
2.4.2. The conflict between nature conservation and economic activity
Not far from Chomętowo, there is a pig farm (for 30 000 pigs) which causes water pollution (manure is used as a fertilizer which can cause eutrophication). This farm was legalised by the Main Administrative Court, though the but the farm does not comply to EU environmental standards. The company is Danish owned and was supported by the Danish governmental investment agency. The farm does not comply to Danish environmental standards (although till the Poland accession to EU polish standards were fulfilled). The farm is located in the buffer zone of the park. The Park authorities, Drawno Municipality authorities, where the piggery is located, and people living nearby try to force the owner to reduce emissions (Kochut 2004).
Although the number of tourists visiting the park is not massive, tourism creates burden for the environment. The main problem is that the tourism activity is concentrated in a small, most attractive part of the park.
2.5. Unit of analysis
The research focuses on the conflicts. The conflict is understood as set of actions of actors forcing their (opposing) interests.
2.5.1. Unclear property rights
The unclear allocation of the property rights is an important part of the conflict background. This uncertainty is a more general problem however. Uncertainty related to property rights is one of the major legacies of communism. It has several aspects:
a)Communist regime destroyed profoundly the property right both in a legal sense and the awareness of the property rights. Common property promoted against private property resulted with treating common property as “nobody’s”. From this point of view, communism created environment for free-riderism in a large scale.
b)During the 2nd World War substantial amount of property rights documents was destroyed;
c)Western part of Poland was inhabited after the II World War by people from regions that became a part of Soviet Union. It caused a long lasting feeling of provisional settlement.
The legacy is important especially considering the nature protection in the park, e.g. about 300 hectares within the park is an abandoned agricultural land. Generally, in the Drawa National Park there are no conflicts on the ownership of land. Unclear and conflicting are the usages of the resources (possibilities to enter with vehicles; collecting mashrooms; possibility to hunt etc.)
The awareness of property rights is different in particular regions. In Tatra Mountains National Park, in the conflict situation the mountaineers questioned the actions of the park management by recalling rights and privileges given to their ancestors by Polish king in 16th century. Such well-rooted property rights awareness are rather exceptional in Poland however. Legal distribution of property rights in polish national parks are indicated in the Table 1.
Table 1. The ownership structure of the national parks in Poland
No / National park / Area / State Treasury ownership / Private ownership / OtherManaged by park / Managed not by park
1. / Babiogórski / 3 392 / 3 255 / 15 / 27 / 95
2. / Białowieski / 10 502 / 10 502 / 0 / 0 / 0
3. / Biebrzański / 59 223 / 32 374 / 586 / 26 263 / 0
4. / Bieszczadzki / 29 202 / 29 057 / 100 / 0 / 45
5. / "Bory Tucholskie" / 4 798 / 4 797 / 0 / 0 / 1
6. / Drawieński / 11 342 / 11 107 / 188 / 47 / 0
7. / Gorczański / 7 030 / 6 512 / 21 / 416 / 81
8. / Gór Stołowych / 6 339 / 6 177 / 64 / 60 / 38
9. / Kampinoski / 38 544 / 32 081 / 432 / 5 770 / 261
10. / Karkonoski / 5 576 / 5 559 / 3 / 0 / 14
11. / Magurski / 19 439 / 19 363 / 76 / 0 / 0
12. / Narwiański / 7 350 / 1 642 / 415 / 5293 / 0
13. / Ojcowski / 2 146 / 1 330 / 27 / 706 / 83
14. / ieniński / 2 346 / 1 263 / 48 / 793 / 242
15. / Poleski / 9 762 / 8 324 / 43 / 1 305 / 90
16. / Roztoczański / 8 483 / 8 334 / 54 / 95 / 0
17. / Słowiński / 18 618 / 17 939 / 489 / 104 / 86
18. / Świętokrzyski / 7 626 / 7 462 / 29 / 125 / 10
19. / Tatrzański / 21 164 / 18 471 / 66 / 2 611 / 16
20. / "Ujście Warty" / 8 038 / 7 540 / 373 / 123 / 2
21. / Wielkopolski / 7 584 / 6 627 / 120 / 702 / 135
22. / Wigierski / 15 086 / 12 391 / 102 / 2 593 / 0
23. / Woliński / 10 937 / 10 851 / 66 / 0 / 20
Total [ha] / 314 527 / 262 958 / 3 317 / 47 033 / 1 219
[%] / 100 / 83,6 / 1,0 / 15,0 / 0,4
Source: National Board for National Parks.