Letter of Support for the campaign StopE40
13th of October 2017, Tamsweg Max A. E. Rossberg European Wilderness Society Dechant Franz-Fuchs Strasse 5 5580 Tamsweg, Austria On behalf of the European Wilderness Society, I like to express our support for the campaign StopE40, initiated by the international coalition of NGO Bahna, PA Achova Ptushak Backaushchyny, NGO Ecohome, Green Network, Center for Environmental Solutions, Fund For Clean Pripyat, NGO Time of the Earth. The E40 waterway connects the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea over a length of more than 2,000 km across multiple European countries. The project "Restoration of the E40 main waterway on the Dnieper-Vistula section: from strategy to planning" determined the ‘best’ option for restoring the E40 waterway, yet the proposed restorations pose serious harmful environmental consequences that should be avoided and are in conflict with internationally agreed Conventions. The E40 restauration is a direct threat to specially protected natural areas of national and international significance that create ideal conditions for a large number of migratory birds, rare and endangered species, rare biotopes and natural landscapes. Furthermore, the anthropogenic impact, on rivers will increase, including high risk of spreading radioactive contamination, which will worsen the quality of river water. This will have a negative impact on the surrounding flora and fauna, and could have severe consequences for the safety of drinking water supply in Ukraine. The waterway will pass through more than 70 valuable natural areas of Poland, Belarus and Ukraine that will be inflicted irreparable damage. The habitats of rare species of birds and other animals will be destroyed, floodplain oak forests and other valuable plant communities, the Vistula, Western Bug, Pripyat valleys, the Narew and Pilica will be under threat of extinction. Some of these areas play a very important role in the European biodiversity strategy and are the so-called pan-European corridors. This includes the largest flyway across the Republic of Belarus, used annually by over 1.5 million migratory birds. Flat bogs, raised bogs and flood meadows are of the greatest significance for preservation of species threatened with extinction in Europe and in the world. For example, the river Pripyat flood plains, a unique pan-European location of nesting and migrating swampland bird species, which will be destroyed if the E40 project continues. The E40 restoration will thus not only negatively affect nature at a local level, but equally important on regional and even global level. Therefore, the European Wilderness Society fully supports the StopE40 campaign. The European Wilderness Society is the only pan-European, wilderness and environmental advocacy nonprofit organization with a dedicated and experienced team of professionals from different backgrounds, whose mission is to identify, designate, steward and promote Europe’s last wild rivers, old growth forests and wilderness. Our organization is supported by thousands of wilderness-minded people across the world.
Max A. E. Rossberg Chairman of the European Wilderness Society
European Wilderness Society Dechant Franz Fuchs Str. 5 5580 Tamsweg, Austria ZVR: 305471009