Polish Climate Ministry blocks plan to cut 7,000 trees in Warmia‑Mazury

Poland’s Ministry of Climate and Environment has rejected applications to fell almost 7,000 trees along provincial roads in the Warmia and Mazury region. The ministry stressed that the roadside woodlands help moderate heat, protect roads from wind and snow, retain water, reduce erosion and provide ecological corridors.

The decision also cites a defence argument: the Ministry of National Defence noted that dense tree lines hinder aerial reconnaissance, giving the alders a strategic military value. The rejection is part of the “Green Shield East” programme, which allocates 450 million zł for protecting the region’s vegetation. The ministry advised first‑line engineering solutions such as protective barriers and stricter speed limits before any tree removal. Activists from the “Skraj Drzew – STOP wycince drzew na Warmii” initiative had collected signatures opposing the felling, and deputy minister Mikołaj Dorożała said, “We promised the voice of nature would be heard – and we are keeping that promise.”