Mikołaj Dorożała resigns as Poland's deputy climate minister and chief nature conservator

Departure after months of friction

Mikołaj Dorożała has resigned from his post as Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Climate and Environment and Chief Nature Conservator on 4 September 2026. The official resignation was submitted to Prime Minister Donald Tusk following protracted political pressure from within the governing coalition. Dorożała had held both responsibilities since December 2023, overseeing forestry management and biodiversity protection. His tenure saw persistent conflict with hunting associations, elements of the State Forests administration, and the Polish People's Party (PSL). Tensions peaked earlier in 2026 when Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz publicly called for his dismissal, prompting Dorożała to respond in May that he would step down if counter-reformation prevailed over conservation reform.

Policy battles and protected areas

During his time in office, Dorożała pursued conservation measures that altered state forestry and wildlife regulations. He stopped timber harvesting in selected high-value forests and oversaw the creation of more than 200 new nature reserves across the country. These included the Bliżyńskie Natural Forests reserve, spanning nearly 3,000 hectares as the largest reserve created in decades. In addition, Dorożała halted bird hunting in the buffer zone of Ujście Warty National Park and removed 5 threatened bird species from Poland's legal hunting list. His team also developed a 25-year management plan for Białowieża Forest that was approved by UNESCO in July 2026, allocating 96% of the forest area to natural ecological processes.

I believe that given the scale and pace of civilizational development with all its negative consequences, an exclusively utilitarian approach to nature is a strategic mistake. It is sipping champagne on the Titanic knowing what we are approaching.

Legislative initiatives and coalition tensions

Dorożała also advanced Poland's first national park legislation in 24 years, proposing the Lower Oder Valley National Park. While the bill passed both the Sejm and Senate with surveys showing over 80% public backing, it encountered a presidential veto. The ministry responded by initiating an administrative expansion of Drawieński National Park across lower Oder lands, a process scheduled to conclude in November 2026. Friction over his approach also surfaced in April 2026 during a parliamentary vote of no confidence against Climate Minister Paulina Hennig-Kloska, when PSL figures advocated replacing him with an official more receptive to commercial foresters. He also faced scrutiny in 2024 for taking vacation leave during an ecological emergency at Lake Dzierżno Duże and along the Oder River.

Exit statement and ministerial transition

In his farewell statement on social media, Dorożała defended his record and described public service as a mission free from personal financial ambitions. He noted that State Forests management had dropped legal cases previously filed against non-governmental organizations and environmental activists. The government is also finalizing the National Wetland Conservation Strategy, which is scheduled for cabinet adoption before the end of 2026 to mitigate droughts. Prime Minister Donald Tusk has not yet announced a successor for the undersecretary post or the role of Chief Nature Conservator.

I am ending this chapter, but I am not ending my path. The protection of Polish nature is the purpose of my work, and I will always remain devoted to it, whether in public service, in science, or in civic activity.