On the occasion of the World Day of Forests, which is celebrated today, March 21, the Center for Environment published the publication “Our primary forests – An overview of the primary forests of Bosnia and Herzegovina with an analysis of the legal framework for protection”, which is the result of the work of experts and researchers of the field od primary forests, and provides a comprehensive overview of the primary forests in BiH and analyzes the legal framework for their protection.
“With this publication, we provide in one place an overview of the so far recognized, researched and/or protected primary forests of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and we consolidate basic information about them in a sufficiently reliable, informative and accessible way. We intend for the publication to be equally scientific and professional, but also useful for all those readers who are not only from a forestry or natural science education. In addition to the list and description of the primary forests of Bosnia and Herzegovina, we considered it important, for the purposes of this book, to create an analysis of the legal framework within which the primary forests are proclamed protected”, pointed out Aleksandra-Anja Dragomirović, vice-president of the Center for Environment.
Dejan Radošević, a ecologist from the Republic Institute for the Protection of Cultural, Historical and Natural Heritage, who is the reviewer of this edition, considers the analysis of the legal framework for the protection of primary forests to be an important step towards the preservation of biodiversity and the fulfillment of international obligations, as well as the basis for the next steps in the direction of protecting and preserving these valuable forests:
“In today’s world, where we face numerous challenges in the constant struggle to preserve the natural heritage, a publication that focuses on the primary forests of Bosnia and Herzegovina represents a significant step towards raising awareness of the importance of these ecosystems. It is precisely the primary forests, those ancient guardians of wisdom, that should be an eternal reminder and lesson to us. They remind us that nature has the ability to take care of itself, without the need for human intervention, or to be honest, in the modern age of the emphasized need for natural resources, without excessive human interventions. In their silence and strength, they rebuke our anthropocentric view, showing us that life can survive and flourish in harmony, far from our hands. They are not only natural landmarks, but also symbols of resistance against excessive and reckless urbanization and exploitation of nature.”
The publication was created when, through work on the “Forests Beyond Borders” project, which had research, preservation and protection of primary forests as its main theme, the need for such a publication was recognized. It was born out of a desire to educate the general public, with the aim of raising awareness of primary forests as a natural heritage and the importance of supporting research and primary forests conservation. We wanted to be able to find basic information about the so far explored primary forests of our country in one place.
This is exactly what deen and profesor from the Faculty of Forestry, University of Banja Luka, Vojislav Dukić stated in his review.:
“The detailed analysis and comprehensive presentation of the richnes of primary forests ecosystems and legislation in the field of primary forests protection provides valuable information to the scientific community and raises the awareness of the general public about the importance of protection. This publication is a strong reminder of the priceless value of the primary forests of Bosnia and Herzegovina and will surely be a source of inspiration for all those who want to contribute to conservation”.
Of the 12 primary forests described in this publication, only three enjoy protection that has been brought “to the end”, in accordance with the laws on nature protection. All the others are still protected through forest laws. Some are only recognized by researchers and saved by “good will” from potential exploitation without having any formal protection.
The first part of the publication provides an overview of Bosnia and Herzegovina primary forests with basic data and excerpts from previous research. Descriptions of primary forests are arranged in alphabetical order.
Descriptions of the Golija, Mačen do, Plješevica, Ravna vala and Trstionica primary forests were provided by prof. Dr. Dalibor Ballian and Dr. Mirzeta Memišević Hodžić.
The primary forests of Bobija, Crni vrh, Dubička gora, Janj, Lom, Malovčića dolina and Perućica were described by Srđan Bilić, MSc.
The second part provides an analysis of the legal framework within which we protect primary forests, which was done by the lawyer of the Center for Environment Sonja Kosanović and prof. Dr. Dalibor Ballian.
Cartographic contributions, as well as a review of remote sensing, were prepared by Branislava Dukić, Master of Forestry (Center for Environment). Aleksandra-Anja Dragomirović (Center for Environment) created the idea concept and edited the publication.
The publication is part of the “Forest Beyond Borders” project, which is supported by the German nature protection foundation EuroNatur. We would like to thank all previous researchers of primary forests and colleagues who contributed to this field.