Economic context of the operation of the Bialowieski National Park and the adjacent communes

Abstract

The paper describes economic relations between the Białowieski National Park and local communities, including economic entities and self-governments of the adjacent communes. It presents economic functions that the Park fulfils in its environment, namely those of an employer, a contracting party, an investor/buyer of services and an owner of real estate. The paper also analyses the Park’s economic relations with local economic entities from the tourist, timber and agricultural sectors, and with communes of the Hajnowski district (poviat). Much attention is given in the paper to the question of organisation of access of tourists to the Park’s facilities as one of its statutory tasks and, at the same time, the main source of income of the Park’s Auxiliary Estate. This, practically, is the only type of economic activity carried out within the boundaries of the Białowieski National Park. The article constitutes an important statement in the discussion on the enlargement of the Park and on the economic and social determinants of this process.