Threatened mires and peatlands of the world
for further information see also Via Baltica - expressway threatening
wilderness
or visit viabalticainfo.org/spip.php?rubrique2
| As the measures to protect the Rospuda valley, which could be undertaken on the national level seem to be exhausted, we ("Save Wetlands" Association, Poland) appeal to the international authorities to take action to help us to preserve this very valuable unique mire complex. In this case the international pressure on the Polish government and involvement of international organisations seems to be the last hope for the valley. | |
Country |
Poland |
Size |
630 ha |
Land ownership |
The most of the land in the valley is private. Some land has been already bought by the General Management of the State Roads and Highways. |
Administration |
Augustów commune and Nowinka commune in the Augustów administrative district. |
Site location |
The west side of the Augustów Forest, between Suwalki and Augustów, north-eastern Poland. N 53° 58' E 22° 52' - N 53° 53' E 22° 58' |
Site description |
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| The Rospuda valley contains soligenous fens with
totally undisturbed water relations, which results in an existence of
huge areas of sedge-moss fens and transition mires. Moreover, it is
characterized by the undisturbed landscape conditions and vegetation
zonation. The vegetation zones across the valley are (going from the
river towards the valley edge): (1) aquatic plant communities close to
the riverbed, (2) reedbeds, (3) tall sedge communities, (4) extensive
zone of sedge-moss fen communities of the Scheuchzerio-Caricetea class,
(5) bog woodland and pine-birch shrubs classified as the
Thelypteridi-Betuletum pubescentis association and (6) spruce forests
on peat or alder swamp forests close to the mineral slopes of the
valley. The sedge-moss communities, covering over 100 ha are the most valuable habitat of the Rospuda valley. They have permanent high water levels and in most part are free of encroaching willow or birch shrubs. They are dominated by small sedge communities with Carex rostrata, C. diandra, C. limosa, C. lasiocarpa, C. chordorrhiza and "brown mosses", mostly Drepanocladus s.l., Tomenthypnum nitens, Calliergon giganteum, Calliergonella cuspidata, Aulacomnium palustre with an addition of Sphagna at places. Most of the Rospuda valley plant communities belong to the mesotrophic small sedge-brown moss vegetation of the Caricion lasiocarpae alliance. A lot of fragments, however, are similar to or even identical with calcium-rich assemblages of the Caricion davallianae alliance. Also the alder swamp forests (Alnion glutinosae) in the valley have a "model look" and are very well preserved. Owing to the favourable water regime, they are largely natural in character. In addition, small patches of other plant communities are scattered in different parts of the valley. These are for instance: raised bog patches, springs and oak-linden-hornbeam forests growing here and there on mineral islands on the mire and on the slopes of the valley. |
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Ecological value |
|
| The Rospuda valley is one of the most valuable mire
complexes in Poland, comparable to some of the Polish National Parks.
The most precious qualities of the Rospuda valley are the vastness of
the valley and the totally undisturbed water relations. Its
hydrological system bearing no signs of human-made disruption
guarantees the stable existence of unique habitats together with the
plants and animals relying on them. The great part of the vegetation types mentioned above are habitats included in Annex I of the EU Habitats Directive. Vascular plants are represented by a wealth of species commonly occurring in the Augustów Forest as well as a range of rare ones among which 35 are legally protected - ca. 20 representing the Orchid family, 14 species from the Polish Plant Red Data Book and 23 from the Polish "red list". The rarest and most valuable species of vascular plants in the valley are: Musk Orchid Herminium monorchis, 3 species protected by the EU Habitats Directive (Marsh Saxifrage Saxifraga hirculus, Fen Orchid Liparis loeselii, Lady's Slipper Orchid Cypripedium calceolus), and also Dwarf Birch Betula humilis, Jacob's Ladder Polemonium caeruleum, Adder's Mouth Orchid Malaxis monophyllos, Slender Cotton-grass Eriophorum gracile, Cotton Deergrass Baeothryon alpinum. Among bryophytes many are relict species., e.g. Paludella squarrosa. The great part of species mentioned above occur in a large number in the Rospuda valley, e.g. the Betula humilis population belongs to the best developed and preserved ones in northern Poland. The Rospuda valley is the only site in Poland, where Musk Orchid Herminium monorchis occurs. |
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Social value |
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| The neighbourhood of the Rospuda valley is inhabited by people, who have been strongly connected with this land for many generations. They have established an association in attempt to preserve and strengthen their cultural and spiritual connections with this place. The fens in the valley, however, have not been a subject of any major human activities. | |
Current threats |
|
| For a few years now plans have been
discussed to build the by-pass road of Augustów. It is
unavoidable for it to cut through the valley of the Rospuda. The
question is - where? Different interest groups have been pressuring for
different routes. The best option for the nature of the valley would be
constructing the by-pass as far away as possible from the unique
untransformed mires lying in the southern part of the valley.
Intersected by a fast road they may be irreversibly destroyed.
Hydrological changes, which are unavoidable when a fast road is built,
could cause unexpected changes of habitat conditions that would result
in destroying vulnerable fen vegetation. Moreover, the road would cause
landscape fragmentation, which is one of the main threats for
endangered species. However, in spite of numerous protests of scientists, NGOs involved in nature protection and local communities, the General Management of the State Roads and Highways (GDDKiA) decided to build the by-pass of Augustów through the middle of the most valuable open fens. They find this route to be the most economically and technically justified. . |
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Scale of ecological value |
The peatland is of regional importance. |
Conservation status |
low level conservation area without legal binding |
| The Rospuda valley is low level
conservation area without legal binding. Although one of the most
valuable mire complexes in Poland, it has not received any important
conservation status yet. Because of the wealth of bird species the
Rospuda valley is part of the Augustów Forest Bird Site of
International Importance. With regard to its geomorphological,
hydrological, biotic and landscape conditions the whole area has been
classified as the international ecological core area within the
National Ecological Network ECONET-PL. However, the only designation
having a legal status is the Area of Protected Landscape, which ensures
very low conservation level. There are plans to designate the area as National Nature Reserve. It will be a part of the planned Augustów-Druskienniki Transboundary Protected Area comprising areas adjoining the border in Poland, Lithuania and Byelorussia. Moreover, the Rospuda valley is part of the planned Natura 2000 site - the Augustów Forest. |
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Activities |
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| The Rospuda valley has been a point of concern for a
few years now. There are at least 2 alternative routes for the by-pass
of Augustów. One of them would go round the most valuable
open untransformed mires in the north, the other - in the south.
However, the activities undertaken to promote the route avoiding the
valuable mire complex have brought no results. The measures are taken both by environmentalists and the local community. The later have staged protests against the compulsory purchase that is carried out in connection with building the by-pass. They strongly disagree with the idea of compulsory purchase and claim that the way it is being done is unlawful. They have written protest letters, for instance, to the Human Rights Ombudsman and the local Voivode. Environmentalists have taken steps to document specific natural values of the area and have sent their protests to the authorities. The vegetation of the Rospuda valley has been surveyed in order to provide appropriate documentation for the planned Nature Reserve and for the planned Natura 2000 site. Several Polish experts in botany confirmed the value of the Rospuda valley's nature. The by-pass of Augustów is a part of the international expressway Via Baltica. After the NGOs' complaint the European Council has recommended Poland to perform the Strategic Environment Assessment (SEA) and an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the whole Via Baltica in Poland and suggested that there should be performed an independent analysis of the route variants for the Augustów by-pass. The European Council evaluated the chosen variant as being very harmful for the Ropuda mires. The Council find the future nature reserve 'Rospuda river valley' to be a matter of great concern. Despite of protests and the recommendation of the European Council the General Management of the State Roads and Highways have not decided to carry out the analysis of the route variants for the Augustów by-pass. The problem of the whole Via Baltica and particularly the by-pass of Augustów crossing the Rospuda valley was discussed at the last meeting of the Polish National Council for Protection of Nature. The Council appreciates the unique value of the Rospuda valley. However, the representative of the General Management of the State Roads and Highways present at the meeting, ruled out the possibility of changing the route of the by-pass. |
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Contact person |
"Save Wetlands" Association Ewa Jablonska & Pawel Pawlikowski cmok_2001@tlen.pl |
Date of receipt |
04. June 2004 |
Download background information
Environmental NGOs are highly concerned about the environmental impacts of the construction of expressways in north-eastern Poland. The Polish authorities have given the “green light” for construction of two road projects - Augustow bypass and Wasilkow bypass on/ related to road number 8/planned expressway S-8. This road is the Polish authorities’ preferred route for the Polish part of the Helsinki-Warsaw Pan-European Transport I road corridor (often referred to as “Via Baltica”).
The NGOs are extremely concerned that these projects will damage two Natura 2000 sites (Augustow and Knyszyn Primeval Forests SPAs). The pristine Rospuda Valley in Augustow Primeval Forests SPA will be devastated by the Augustow Bypass if this project goes ahead and the habitats of a large number of species including lesser-spotted eagle, white-tailed eagle, white backed woodpecker and capercaillie will be irreversibly damaged.
The European Commission evidently shares these concerns
because an
infringement procedure was opened against Poland for breaches of the
Birds and Habitats Directives in relation to Via Baltica with a
“Letter of Formal Notice” sent to Poland in
December 2006. Both Augustow and Wasilkow bypasses are mentioned in the
Letter. In December 2006, Poland was also sent a Reasoned Opinion in
relation to its failure to propose sufficient SPAs and Natura 2000
sites. Neither Augustow nor Knyszyn Primeval Forests have been
officially notified to the Commission by the Polish government as
proposed Sites of Community Interest, although they host animals,
plants and habitat types included in the Habitats Directive (e.g.
European bison, wolf, lynx and bog woodland).
Despite the
infringement proceedings the Polish authorities seem
determined to proceed with the projects. On 2nd
February 2007
the building permit (the final decision before construction can start)
was issued for Wasilkow Bypass. Last Sunday (4th February) at the same
time as a World Wetlands Day event in Warsaw was celebrating the value
of the Rospuda Valley wetlands, the Polish Minister of Environment
decided to refuse the appeals of the Polish Ombudsman and NGOs and
upheld the environmental consent for the Augustow Bypass. And
last Friday (9th February) the building permit was issued for Augustow
Bypass through pristine wetlands in Rospuda Valley. This permit was
issued with “immediate implementation
status”. It means that construction works can be
started and the Natura 2000 sites damaged despite the outstanding NGO
and Ombudsman court appeals. It is being reported that logging of
20,000 trees in the Augustow Primeval Forest to get access to Rospuda
Valley will start still in February. So even if the court appeals
subsequently find against the authorities, the Natura 2000 sites could
have been seriously damaged in the meantime. At this stage restoration
for the damage is likely to be extremely difficult, if not impossible,
and the cost of compensation for the damage could be enormous.
Please help us stop this damage! 
NGOs call on the European
Commission to:
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www.imcg.net last
update 01-03-2007