Realizacja zalesień w latach 2001-2018 w różnych regionach Polski

The paper analyzes the spatial and temporal diversity of afforestation of non−forest land, with particular emphasis on land not being the property of the State Treasury, before joining the European Union and as part of subsequent stages of the Rural Development Program. Data from the databases of the Statistics Poland and from the Agency for Restructuring and Modernisation of Agriculture was used. Afforestation in the period 2001−2018 was carried out with varying intensity throughout the country and in individual years. This condition was largely influenced by availability of land for afforestation and the form of land ownership. The history of the individual regions is clearly visible as well. Private forests occupy the smallest area in the territories incorporated into Poland after World War II, also in part of the former Prussia region and in the area covered by so called the ‘Wisła’ Operation in south−eastern Poland. In turn, in Podlasie and Lubelszczyzna regions (eastern Poland), the share of private forests is significant. The biggest changes in the afforestation structure took place after the introduction of subsidies for their establishment and care, after Poland’s accession to the European Union. In the period 2004−2018, the scope and criteria for granting the subsidies changed. New categories, which were to encourage beneficiaries to use this form of support, appeared. In 2004−2007 part of the Rural Development Program the area of afforested land in relation to the number of beneficiaries or issued decisions was the largest, while in subsequent campaigns the afforestation area decreased, despite the increase in the level of subsidies. The most important reasons for reducing the interest in afforestation are: decreasing resources of land intended for afforestation, greater interest among farmers in competitive payments for agricultural land, complicated bureaucratic procedures related to afforestation. The paper also highlights the most important restrictions that inhibit afforestation. These include: exclusion from afforestation of land located in Natura 2000 areas, exclusion of grassland (meadows and pastures) from afforestation and limitation of the aid granted for afforestation to one farmer to an area not exceeding 20 ha in the entire Program period. Lifting these barriers can have a positive effect on the creation of new afforestation or improvement of existing ones.