Poland inaugurates first community forest near Wrocław

Poland has opened its first community forest on the outskirts of Wrocław, covering about 13,000 hectares, of which 8,000 hectares are designated as a social forest for public use. The project, announced by Climate and Environment Minister Paulina Hennig‑Kloska, aims to provide residents with recreation areas, educational trails, and cycling paths while also supporting climate regulation, water retention, air purification and soil protection.

The forest is part of a broader government programme to create 11 community forests around major Polish cities, including Warsaw, Kraków, Gdańsk, Łódź and others. Logging is permitted but will be limited to protect the forest’s social functions. The initiative is presented as a historic step toward integrating green spaces into urban planning and improving public health and wellbeing.