Dylematy rozwojowe gmin wiejskich objętych siecią ekologiczną Natura 2000

Developmental dilemmas in rural municipalities covered by Natura 2000

Although local governments of surveyed in Polish Green Lungs (with a significant percentage of area covered by Natura 2000) declare the need for environmental protection but at the same times they believe that the introduction of Natura 2000 resulted in many new problems in local economic development. Village and town mayors through their regional and national associations are demanding compensation for the loss potential benefits and costs incurred as a result of activities related to environmental protection. The reasons for this situation is the fact that the process of forming Natura 2000 network was not accompanied by a through explanatory action and the boundaries of ecological network were determined arbitrarily without cooperation with local authorities. Moreover, local communities weren’t presented alternative directions of development, and it was aggravated by lack of financial resources for maintenance and operation of this new form of environment protection.