To the Prime Minister of Poland
To the Minister of Environment of Poland
To the Minister of Infrastructure of Poland
The International Mire Conservation Group (IMCG) is a worldwide organisation of mire (peatland) specialists who have a particular interest in the conservation of peatland habitats. The IMCG willingly places its advice and expertise at the disposal of any government seeking to establish or maintain mire conservation programmes.
One of the most valuable wetlands in Poland is the mire in the Rospuda river valley in the Augustów Forest. The Rospuda valley contains fens with totally undisturbed water relations, which results in an existence of huge areas of open wetlands. The sedge-moss plant communities, covering over 100 ha are the most valuable habitat of the Rospuda valley. The vastness of the valley and the undisturbed water relations belong to the most precious qualities of this site. Its hydrological system bearing no signs of human disturbance guarantees the stable existence of unique habitats together with the plants and animals relying on them. Moreover, the valley is characterized by undisturbed landscape conditions and vegetation zonation.
The Rospuda valley should be regarded as a unique wetland complex of European importance. Its conservation needs are backed up by several international conventions ratified by Poland, in particular the Ramsar Convention (1987) and the EU Habitat Directive (1992). Many of the vegetation types occurring in the valley are habitats included in Annex I of the EU Habitats Directive, whose preservation is obligatory to the EU Member States. The Rospuda river valley deserves to be protected as a Natura 2000 site. Among vascular plants occurring in the valley 35 are legally protected, 14 species are noted in the Polish Red Data Book of Plants and 23 in the Polish “red list”. Four species of plants are protected by the EU Habitats Directive. Moreover, the Rospuda valley is the only site in Poland where Musk Orchid Herminium monorchis occurs.
Although one of the most valuable mire complexes in Poland, the Rospuda valley has not received any important conservation status yet. The unique untransformed mire complex lying in the southern part of the valley is gravely threatened by irreversible destruction through plans to build the by-pass road of Augustów across it. Hydrological changes, which are unavoidable when a highway is built, will affect habitat conditions that would result in destroying vulnerable fen vegetation. Moreover, the road would cause landscape fragmentation, which is one of the major threats to endangered species.
Therefore, the IMCG requests the Prime Minister of Poland to show a political will to preserve the unique Rospuda valley as a national nature heritage and an important Polish contribution to United Europe.
Furthermore, the IMCG requests the Minister of Infrastructure of Poland to make a real effort and consider changing the decision concerning the route of the by-pass road of Augustów, irrespective of the costs connected with preparing the suitable documentation and purchasing the land. The IMCG suggests constructing the by-pass as far away as possible from the unique untransformed mires lying in the southern part of the valley.
Last but not least, the IMCG requests the Minister of Environment of Poland to support the conservation of the Rospuda valley and to approve the Rospuda valley as a Natura 2000 site.