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  Bialowieza is of Critical Importance

  I appreciated Eric's article about the Bialowieza Forest.  Europe and the World need this forest.  The biological integrity of this very small area speaks to the way Europe has logged most of its original forest and replaced it with lines of trees.  I have lived in and visited Bialowieza many times for the past 13 years as a scholar and activist and witnessed the fragmentation of the forest as commercial logging thins much of the forest and new roads criss-cross the area.  What is needed is strong international action and attention on the Polish government and European Union governing bodies.  The fight for Bialowieza has been going for nearly 18 years.  While much of the forest has been diminished through logging, it remains a biological unit that retains complex assemblages of plants and animals hard to find elsewhere.  International and local activists are an important part of keeping the campaign alive. BISON (Bialowieza International Solidarity Network) needs more full time activists who can continue the media campaign.

  On a continent (Europe) that has defined 'wild' nature as something that occurs outside of Europe (in the Americas, in Africa, etc.) and 'civilization' as a key element of Europe, it is important to shake up those categories by recognizing the outstanding quality and history of this forest and acting to expand the national park to cover the whole forest area.  Additionally, new roads, border crossing to road traffic in the forest, and oil pipelines should not be permitted.

  Eunice Blavascunas Ph.D.
  Postdoctoral Social Science Teaching Fellow
  Program on the Environment
  University of WashingtonOn Prowling Europe's last lowland old growth forest posted 1 year ago 5 Responses