It will encompass an additional 371.11 hectares. The Council of Ministers’ regulation on the matter was signed on November 13. Following the expansion, KPN will cover 5,951.42 hectares.
The expansion concerns three areas: a plot purchased by the Park from a private owner near Chojnik because of its significant natural value; the palace grounds in Sobieszów, where an administrative and educational center will be established; and the forests between Chojnik and the Park’s main area in Jagniątków. As a result, Chojnik Mountain will no longer be an enclave.
– This is the first historic expansion of Karkonosze National Park, says KPN director Andrzej Raj. – It was very important to us that the Park should have a natural transect from the foothill zone to the alpine zone, which we can place under a uniform form of protection and subject to consistent nature-observation methods.
The incorporated area is home to the white-tailed eagle and eagle owl, as well as highly valuable forest plant communities.
One of the changes taking effect on January 1 will be the exclusion of this area from the hunting district and the end of hunting on the land taken over by KPN. All existing tourist infrastructure will, however, be maintained. All cycling and hiking trails will be preserved. In the future, the Park will begin repairing these trails, as some are significantly poorer in quality than the other trails in KPN.
One idea is also to make the acquired areas available to mushroom pickers and people gathering other forest produce, of course in a way that does not harm nature. – This is to be an experiment, says director Raj, – but the mushroom season usually begins after the birds’ breeding season has ended, so there should be no problems.
Director Raj does not, however, see any possibility of entering the summit of Żar Mountain, where no trails lead. As he emphasizes, it is a white-tailed eagle protection area, which rules out creating a tourist trail or building a viewing platform there.
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