Protection of forest for defence

No cutting, no ban

The State Forests will introduce 2 protection zones. The first “no-go” is intended to completely prevent hostile forces from moving. It will be introduced in a belt measuring 5 km from the border and will cover about 100,000 ha. – In this area, we will quit moving complete logs (total forest cut-off – ed). The command of the manager of State Forests has already been issued – noted Hennig-Kloska. The fresh rules will apply in 48 foresting. Moreover, more dead wood is to stay in the designated areas, which promotes water retention and constitutes a natural obstacle to movement.

– The second region – "slow-go" – radically slowing down the movement of troops of our possible aggressors will be introduced up to 50 km from the state border and will cover an area of about 700,000 hectares of forests. Here too, to any extent, we will quit the complete frameworks," said the head of the ministry of the environment. Forest management in this area is to be changed so as not to make corridors facilitating the transport of dense equipment and larger groups of people.

Hennig-Kloska pointed out that the recovery of water resources will not take place on its own, so 450 million PLN from EU funds will be launched this week. The money “for widely understood anti-mobility” is intended to go to local governments, national parks, regional environmental directors, Polish Waters, State Forests and NGOs; the east areas will be given preferential treatment.

The Minister stressed that ‘the task has nothing to do with expropriation’, does not supply for the flooding of private areas and hindering mobility does not mean a ban on entry into the forest. She assured that the announced actions would not block the improvement of border towns, but would mean additional jobs. The demarcation of zones will not consequence in a complete abandonment of forest management in these areas.

Cooperation for resilience

– Cooperation between the Minister of Defence and the Minister of Climate and Environment seems rare, and the fact is that it is crucial," said Cezary Tomczyk. The deputy chief of the MON recalled experiences from Ukraine, where the state as a full "defensively defends itself", not just the military. Hence, he added, "it is so crucial to usage terrain and nature as an ally from the point of view of the military." As proof of the nature force's operation, he recalled the tragic death of American soldiers in the swamps in Lithuania during last year's exercises. – Anti-accessibility, countermobility are elements that belong from the beginning the foundations of the “Hard East” – he noted. The Deputy Minister added that akin activities are carried out by Lithuanians, Latvians, Estonians, Finns. “At the very end, the point is that dense equipment, mainly tanks or armored transporters, has a very hard – or impossible – passage; so that the movement on the sections can be consolidated to do what the military can best, that is, destroy. If there was a defensive operation, it would be to channel the movement and then destruct this force, which is on the another side, is the key of the task – explained Tomczyk.

“The Tarcza East is simply a land, steel, concrete and innovation,” concluded Tomczyk. He besides pointed out that the programme was included in the NATO's east Flank Deterrence Initiative's Natist deterrence program, which means joint planning with another allies, including the US.

Announced in 2024 in consequence to Russia's attack on Ukraine National Fear and defence Programme “Tarchy East” was planned until 2028. It assumes the construction of dams and the usage of natural barriers along the border with Russia, Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine. The government predicted PLN 10 billion for its implementation, assuming that money would besides come from the EU and NATO. The “Tarcza East” is an interministerial project, but the action plan is developed by the General Staff of the Polish Army. As the MON emphasized, the Polish task is complementary to the Baltic Defence Line built by Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia. The program assumes, among others, the construction of engineering dams, provides for the placing in border municipalities of warehouses of materials for building fortifications.