Greenpeace protests mass logging of old-growth forests in Carpathian Mountains

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Greenpeace activists on Wednesday called on the Polish prime minister to take action to protect Poland's forests, asking the government to limit the harvesting of timber in the vast old-growth forests of the Carpathian Mountains.

During a news conference held outside the office of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Greenpeace activists held a section of a fir tree trunk that they took from the forest. It was the conclusion of a 40-day expedition to try to raise awareness about the threats to a forest which is home to bears, lynx and other wildlife. They delivered it to the prime minister's office after the conference.

According to Greenpeace, a forested area the size of five soccer fields disappears every hour from the Carpathians, which run through parts of Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Ukraine.

Activists on the expedition witnessed up to 40 trucks full of timber per day being transported out of the Bieszczady Mountains, which form part of the Carpathians, on one road alone, said Greenpeace spokesman Marek Jozefiak.

He said the government has not fulfilled its promise to put more of the country's forests under protection by declaring them national parks.

Logging in the Carpathians is highly problematic, he added, because it is the home to the only population of brown bears in Poland and to the biggest population of lynx, wolves and others species.

“It's really mindboggling. We are talking about the most precious mountain forest that we have,” Jozefiak said.

Greenpeace says that the biggest obstacle to protecting the Polish Carpathians is the appropriation of the state forests by a party in the right-wing government.

Greenpeace argues that politicians from a party that belongs to the governing coalition led by Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro “have de facto privatized Polish forests and treat them like money-making machines.”

Jozefiak said large-scale logging is taking place in all the countries, and activists are asking governments and the European Commission to take action.

“They need to act now. If you wait a few more years, it might simply be too late," he said.