Conservationists Sound Alarm Over National Park Zoning Proposal in Eastern Slovakia

Environmental protection groups have raised serious concerns about a proposed zoning plan for the Poloniny National Park, warning that it represents a fundamental failure in conservation policy. The conservationists argue that the zoning proposal would significantly weaken environmental protections in the park, which is located in eastern Slovakia near the borders with Poland and Ukraine. Poloniny National Park, established in 1997, is Slovakia's youngest national park and encompasses part of the East Carpathian Biosphere Reserve, protecting valuable old-growth beech and fir forests along with diverse wildlife habitats. The park's zoning system determines which areas receive strict protection and which allow limited human activities, making any changes to these designations critical for long-term conservation efforts.