Highlights: 

• The park will cover the Miedzyodrze area, which is an important migration corridor and habitat for rare species. 
• The plan to create the park has been supported by the local authorities of Kołbaskowo and Widuchowa, Szczecin, Gryfino and Police counties, and the Zachodniopomorskie (West Pomerania) Voivodship Regional Council. 
• The project is supported by the region's residents – 84–94% of respondents are in favour of creating the park. 

The Act guarantees the maintenance of navigation on the Oder River, so that neither water transport nor recreation on the river will be restricted. Amateur fishing and culture fishing, i.e. traditional forms of fishing characteristic of the region, will be permitted within the park.  

Strong public support 

In a nationwide survey, 70 % of respondents supported the creation of the Lower Odra Valley National Park. Only 13 % were against it, and 17 % had no opinion. 67 % of the public recognise the economic and tourist potential of the new park. In the Zachodniopomorskie Voivodship, where the park will be located, this percentage rises to 81%.  

Cooperation with self-governments 

The park is being developed in close cooperation with local and voivodship self-governments, including the city of Szczecin, the municipalities of Widuchowa and Kołbaskowo, the counties of Police and Gryfino, and the Zachodniopomorskie Voivodship Regional Council.  

Protection of unique areas 

The Lower Odra Valley National Park protects one of the most valuable natural areas in Poland. It is the land of bogs, wet meadows, floodplains, lakes and a tangle of canals, mostly inaccessible to humans. The area is home for more than 200 bird species, including many protected and endangered ones. Rare species of aquatic and marsh plants also occur there, as well as valuable non-forest habitats requiring active protection, including through mowing and grazing.