Kohesio: discover EU projects in your region

project info
Start date: 1 January 2025
End date: 31 December 2027
funding
Fund: Cohesion Fund (CF)
Total budget: 813 501,84 €
EU contribution: 691 374,56 € (85%)
programme
Programming period: 2021-2027
European Commission Topic
European Commission Topic

Reducing anthropopression on the ecosystems of the Biebrza National Park by modernizing tourist infrastructure

The project aims to modernize the existing tourist infrastructure of the Biebrza National Park as well as to maintain and expand the offer of places available to BbPN tourists in order to avoid excessive accumulation of tourist traffic in places of natural value. BbPN is characterized by a large (almost 40%) share of real estate owned by private persons, located in all parts of the Park, often outside the designated tourist routes. Municipal/public roads lead to the above-mentioned real estate, which are accessible to a potentially large and undefined precisely (the terms "local traffic", "road serving local needs") group of people. In accordance with the Regulation of the Council of Ministers of 9 September 1993 on the creation of the Biebrza National Park (§3, para. 4) BbPN is not their owner or manager. This poses a potential risk of overexploration of areas of natural value, as access to the vast majority of these plots is ensured by connecting them with a dense network of public roads. Having a sufficiently attractive offer of marked tourist routes and their proper management is a key issue for stopping tourist traffic on designated routes, scenic and resting places. This contributes to more effective conservation of BbPN's natural resources, including in locations beyond the Park's full jurisdiction and control. Modernization of the infrastructure will also allow to provide access to attractive places of tourism and nature education by adapting it to the needs of the disabled. Each of the planned tasks of the project assumes the use of facilities for people with motor or visual impairments. The places where the project is being implemented have been made available for years and comply with the applicable provisions of the Ordinance of the Minister of Climate and Environment of 11 April 2024 on Protective Tasks for the Biebrza National Park for 2024-2026: - Annex 1 (mode of elimination or reduction of hazards and their effects) - Annex 2 (description of methods of active protection of ecosystems, tasks common to all types of protection), and - Annex 5 (determining places made available for scientific, educational, tourist and recreational purposes). The existing infrastructure blends into the surroundings and has long been an integral part of it, without creating landscape dominants. It plays an important role in providing access to the Biebrza National Park in a way that does not interfere with the natural environment, conducting nature education, educating the young generation and shaping appropriate attitudes. It is indirectly a valuable tool for fulfilling the main task of the Park, which is the protection of nature and care for biodiversity.

Flag of Poland  Multiple locations, Poland