Szczecin. Local government officials met to create the Lower Oder Valley National Park

The three-day visit of the Deputy Minister of Climate and Environment, Mikołaj Dorożała, to the West Pomeranian Voivodeship has ended. Within three days, the politician met with councilors of the following municipalities: Gryfino, Kołbaskowo, Widuchowa and Szczecin. Their goal was the first consultations with local government officials on the creation of the Lower Oder Valley National Park.

At Friday's meeting of Szczecin councilors with the team dealing with this project, the attendance of politicians was not very large. Nevertheless, those present had many questions, comments and reflections on the idea of ​​​​creating a park.

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The park's boundaries are to include the Międzyodrze area, excluding the Klucz-Ustowo, Gartz-Marwice and Widuchowa Międzyodrze canals. The buffer zone, i.e. a separate protective area around a naturally protected area, is not to encroach on areas where any human activity is carried out at any point, except Międzyodrze itself.

An important aspect is also to ensure that the location of the park and its buffer zone will not affect the spatial development of communes that are to have a national park within their borders or on adjacent plots.

The creation of the park is not expected to affect the inland navigation on the Oder or the maintenance of inland waterways. The plans include introducing, among others: fishing and cultural fishing. – We are thus responding to the voices of people who are involved in this important element of the local economy and identity in this region. This will enable fishermen and anglers to operate despite the existence of the park – explained Dorożała.

The Deputy Minister once again reminded that the creation of this national park may be an opportunity for local governments, but it will not be established without their consent. – Let's not forget that the idea of ​​creating this park was born here, locally, and not in the ministry – he said. – This local identity, related, for example, to fishing, was the foundation for the creation of this park – he added.

There are also plans to create active protection to enable cooperation with local farmers. – This means, for example, natural grazing – added the politician.

Councilor Dariusz Smoliński emphasized that an important issue from Szczecin's point of view is the relatively largest scope of potential risk. – Let us remember that the maritime economy, the Szczecin-Świnoujście port alone, amounts to almost PLN 10 billion per year for the State Treasury, and the number of people employed in this sector is not small. Therefore, taking care not to disturb this potential is crucial, he explained.

Councilor Piotr Kęsik said that establishing the Lower Oder Valley National Park is an obvious issue, but he wonders what the plan is if one of the four communes votes against its creation.

– We do not assume such a scenario. We will do everything to convince those who have doubts. Each commune has a slightly different perspective and after the meetings that are taking place now, we come away with specific conclusions and analyses. Therefore, we will do everything to ensure that the Lower Oder Valley National Park comes to fruition – explained Deputy Minister Dorożała.

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According to the regulations, a national park in Poland is created by statute, and the Council of Ministers determines its boundaries by regulation. Creating or changing the boundaries of the park requires the consent of the relevant local government authorities.

There are currently 23 national parks in Poland, covering approximately one percent of the country's area. The first park to be created in our country was the Pieniny National Park. The youngest is the “Ujście Warty” National Park, which was established in 2001. The largest park is the Biebrza National Park.