The State Forests plan to slim down the “caps”. Revenues are coping, the problem is with costs

Preparation of a strategy that takes into account cost optimization and less wood acquisition, as well as slimming the “cap” of state forests, although without exemptions – announces the new head of LP Adam Wasiak. He added that you should think about faster replacement of some tree species because of climate change.

At the beginning of August this year. Adam Wasiak was appointed to the General Director of the State Forests. He replaced Witold Koss, who took the function in January 2024. Wasiak had already managed forests – in 2012-2015.

PAP: You returned to the position of general director of the State Forests. What are your goals?

Adam Wasiak: I would prefer to say that I am not coming back and I start. After ten years, a lot has changed. I think that the look at forests and forestry has changed the most, but also the social sensitivity associated with this area. This was made by many issues: Pandemic, actions of predecessors, including In terms of the Białowieża Forest, but also climate change. State forests are a large institution and many things can not be done quickly. However, the most important is to strengthen the protection of Polish forests.

We must find a limit here as to social and political expectations. The government's coalition agreement is included in the protection of 20 percent. forest areas. My task is to transfer these expectations to the real possibilities of the State Forests and here are many challenges.

PAP: What are the challenges?

Aw: It is, for example, about the plans of the forest arrangement, the issue of their approval, the judgment of the CJEU, which we must perform as Poland (it is about the judgment of the CJEU of 2023. The possibility of appealing these documents to the court, among others by social organizations – PAP). The economic situation of LP is also a challenge. This airbag associated with the financial result has decreased a bit.

PAP: Forests have financial problems?

Aw: We must look not only at the revenue page with which there is no major problem, but also at costs. There is no denying that administrative costs or those related to forest management increased the most. The costs of forest services, including breeding, forest development and wood acquisition, increased significantly. As for revenues, on the one hand there is pressure to limit acquisition, and and on the other, the State Forests self -finance. We must look at it in the long run, build a several -year perspective based on analysis and optimization, rationalization of revenues and costs.

PAP: Does this mean that you will prepare some internal strategy?

Aw: That's how you can say. It will be a bit of such a business strategy, thanks to which we will know what will happen in a few years and what we need to take. For example, we have housing infrastructure that generates costs and you need to approach it somehow.

PAP: Will it be sold?

Aw: I want to normalize it. There were many tensions about renting or selling apartments. We are currently maintaining buildings and real estate, which are unnecessary and require large financial outlays. Resulting from the so -called The building directive thermomodernization, replacement of central heating furnaces, involves expenses difficult to accept – they can go billions of zlotys.

We sell the only premises useless to the State Forests. At the moment, according to art. 40 a Act on forests, every forester has the right to first in such a premises, which is rented from forests with a state -owned one with a discount proportional to the time of employment in our institution, and the supervision over the consideration of applications for sale is carried out by the Ministry of Climate and Environment. In the case of sale, the price is subject to a total reduction of by 6 percent. For each year of employment in organizational units LP IO 3 percent For each year of rent, but no more than 95 percent.

We want to lead to a greater balance between costs and revenues. Currently, the income page is more or less stable and depends on the acquisition of wood. We do not count on increases here, therefore the costs must be adjusted.

PAP: You mentioned, among others on administrative costs. Does this mean that there will be exemptions?

Aw: NO. My predecessor prepared a plan related to determining the optimal level of full -time jobs in LP organizational units and it did not concern dismissals, only even burden on work. We want to improve processes related to the acquisition and sale of wood. Here is a lot of field to show off new technologies, e.g. when receiving and measuring wood, so as not to engage many people. The fact is also that in many forest districts we have a hunger for staff. This gap will have to be filled. I want to slim down the “cap” of the State Forests. This is several thousand people who work only in the supervision and management of forests. For 10 years, over 100 people came in the General Office of the Directorate.

We want to “slim down” forest services, but not at the expense of Forest Services Zakłady, but at the expense of works not entirely in the current situation justified when it comes to forest development. You have to let the forest grow, not “go crazy” with its care.

We also want to reduce the costs associated with forest protection by animals. It is several hundred million in the entire LP.

PAP: You were talking at the beginning about finding a balance or the border between social and political expectations when it comes to protecting forests. What would it look like?

Aw: In my opinion, this should be brought to the forest device plan. PUL-E are basic planning documents and I think that they should be improved, as well as subject to social assessment in a different way than today, although according to foresters they are consulted.

PAP: Theoretically yes, but you are not obliged to take into account the social voice. Administrative court judgments clearly indicated this.

Aw: Look a little differently at each pool. One tenth plans (PUL is made once every 10 years, although it can be annexed – PAP) is prepared annually. Two years have passed and if we contained social and political expectations related to reduced acquisition and protection of valuable forests, we would already have 20 percent. Foresties prepared for the implementation of these tasks. We have MKiŚ commands regarding the limitation of complete foundations, which can and must be transferred to pools. At the same time, reserves and foresters are created very actively in this participate, e.g. through the action of determining 100 reserves for the 100th anniversary of the State Forests. We are also open to further work in this matter, i.e. a list of proposed reserve projects in areas managed by LP by naturalists, from the so -called Shadow List. Another issue is the so -called Old Polish and their protection. The ministry announced that their protection will be entered in generally applicable law. Work is underway on the final shape of the definition of such forests, and we are open to discussion.

I would like to point out that the so -called The production forests are old in Poland; 25 percent The stands are over a hundred years old. These forests are less resistant, less prepared for long -lasting drought, climate change. From the point of view of protection or resistance to climate change, this is not a good situation. The truth is that in the past we were afraid to reduce the age of the dental in Sosno where it is in poor condition, it is the same with spruce.

PAP: Forests in Poland are too old?

Aw: We are only talking about economic forests, where there is pine or spruce, not about reserves or forests. For example, scientific research says that these are places where we should rejuvenate the forest and enter earlier than so far. These processes in the field of handbilled use should be accelerated. It will also strengthen the level of wood supply a bit.

PAP: And with the concept of its predecessor, talking about obtaining 17 % protection forest areas? Is it still valid?

Aw: We do not change this concept, it is close to mine to protect the approval and not top -down. So make work in the forest districts, search for these sensitive, valuable stands from databases that should be turned off – we do anyway. The truth is that many areas have already been excluded from use. My role is to create a permanent compromise in this matter.

PAP: How do you imagine him? Several activities or ideas have already appeared that arouse extreme opinions, e.g. forest moratorium, the idea of ​​oldolas, social forests, etc. How to reconcile the economic and ecological interest?

Aw: An expertise was commissioned, among others to the office of forest equipment and forest geodesy regarding the possibility of obtaining wood. It involves the approach to all the plans of the forest device and build a temporary perspective, which will happen with various variants of increasing protection. For now, there are preliminary results that indicate a reduction in obtaining to approx. 35-36 million cubic meters. Wood per year using exclusions (currently obtaining is about 38 million cubic meters per year – PAP). Such a level would allow us to self -finance. However, it was not determined when we should do it.

PAP: Politicians expect rather faster results.

Aw: I think that in the perspective of five or ten years it will not be so difficult to realize.

PAP: And the potential costs of such exclusions?

Aw: In such a situation, revenue loss and limited weight of the tree are rather associated with savings, because we do not incur the cost of obtaining. Suppose we turn off 20 percent. areas of acquisition. This does not mean that our revenues fall by 20 percent and the costs remain at the same level. But I admit, we don't have all the necessary analyzes ready yet.

PAP: You should also pay attention to the political situation. I suppose the president may not sign laws related to the change in the method of farming in the forests.

Aw: In my opinion, the question of the implementation of the judgment of the CJEU on the plans of the forest device has a chance to sign. In this aspect, it is possible to introduce this element of social supervision over forest management, because in fact, there is a dispute around it that in the external feeling of the State Forests are not subject to any control.

PAP: And the idea of ​​creating social forests around cities. Are you their supporter?

Aw: Of course. I am one of the precursors of social forests around Kielce. I understand this form as close cooperation between foresters with local governments and local social organizations on forest management.

PAP: The wooden sales system was changed during the predecessor's time. The ministry's goal was to reduce wood exports outside the EU. Will there be any further changes?

Aw: The system was changed in 2024 and in the course of consultation with the industry, we agreed that it would operate for two years 2025-2026. Wood is not exported by the State Forests, only companies and intermediaries, which in the light of applicable regulations cannot be prohibited. We have introduced mechanisms that reward local deep processes and after audits, which we run together with KAS, we can see that some companies no longer make statements regarding the depth of wood processing. This means that they do not use non -price criteria and must buy wood more. We do not anticipate any significant changes for 2026. The problem of wood export to China in a sense can be solved by itself, because after many years of ban, the Chinese began to obtain their own resources, which they have built over the past decades. (PAP)

mick/ pad/ wkr/ amac/