THE DOBRA-RUDNIK FORESTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00047R000400730010-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 20, 2013
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: October 12, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

)eclassified in Part - Sanitized Copy,i,8kpe,r3x?,cjZirvI.Nelease 50-Yr2013/05/20 : CIA-RDP82-00047R0-00400730010-5
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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
COUNTRY USSR
DX1 SUBJECT The Dbbra-Rudnik Forests
Lu NU. 50X1
DATE DISTR. 4:2 act 1954
NO. OF PAGES 4
NO. OF ENOLS.
(LISTED BELOW) 50X1
SUPPLEMEN
REPORT NO.
and.
THIS 00(0111101 (00 0010$ INFORMATION A00I00IN4 TOO NATIONS'. 011101111
HP ONO UNIttO 100,11, W1TSIM ONO MIANINS OF TITIA 18, siterlowo /OS
ANO MI OF TN! U.S. 0000, iS 01010010. ITS TMANSMIOSION Oft RM.
LATION OP ITS OONTINTS TO OR OCOCIPT SY AM UNSUTNONISIS 1111$011 1$
IROMISITIO PP LAW. TOO ?????? UCTION or ?NIS POO* 1$ PROMISITIO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION 50X1
1. The Budnik forests and .the neighboring forests of DObrtAlsko and Count
Potocki, were the reMains bt the fermer Sandemirskaya BusCha'(SandOMir
Virgin Forestt).. They eitended'from Salado:air te beyond LezaYak, with
Budnik in the center. Before 19300 these were *lid, impenetrable forests
with .....Wild. animals and birds. This is attetted to by the-names
which remain,such as: BaWolina0 DiodzWledii? Grad, Wieika Butt,
ZiliertYniett0 SViniokhleVy? and other's. At 19410 ranch of the forest
had. been Cut doWn and the fermer wilderness had ditapPeared-.- HoveVer?
there still remained a few areat of dense-woe-at such as Chatny las,
Wielkie Berki0 Zwierzyniets0 Sherokie Pole, and Ostrovy. Uhdoubtedly
these, too, have been thinned out by now.
2. The forests stretched in a direct lire northwest to-southeast Of the
San river0 Along the Looz-Sandomierz-Rudnik-Lezaysk-Przemysl railroad
and highway.
3. Prior to 19440 the estate of Budnik, or Debra-Rudnik as it Vas coliimonlY
called, Vat the property of Count Hieronim TerneWskiy. During the ,
German occupation-1940-44, the forest was Used by the German 'cliiiftvafier.
1n-1945 the-Seviets rationalized all of it. West of Dobra-liudnik lay
the property 61%BarOn Franke, Dobra-Nitko. Although 'a German, he was
not in good graces with the German government. In 194044 his entire estate
was Occupied and partially destreyed? by the mLuftwaffen.- To the-eatt
of-Dbbra-Rtidna was the largest estate of all; 'that of Count Potelckl0
was nationalized by the Soviets in 1945. The administrative
seat of the Potocki forests vas Ar Lancut.
In area, DebraRudnik was approxl ely.5000 hectares of which3p0o
hectaivit'Vere Under tille#and the remainder vas wooded.. Debra-NiskO
Was APproimately um) hectares and 0, Pbtocki estate about 10 times,
as large' as the above two 'med. '
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The entire area of Dobra-Rudnik vas flat covilltry. Even hillocks were rare in this
area. The lower layer of soil vas sandy. In spots there-vas thin layer' of low-
grade ' iron ore. The upper layer consisted of good, 'sandy, soil With vegetable
moulde very fertile for trees and perfect for pines. In places where the soil
vas very sante and not fertile, only dwarf pines grew. 'Where the soil was light
and heavy clay; oak and other' qacidumin trees grew well. The most fertile areas
were the strips along the an 'these were called "rendzinae.
In the entire area the predominant growth coneisted of common pine trees (Pinus
Silveetris) ? They accounted for 70 to 80% of the total, and were prominent in
clean growths. Other coniferous trees were spruce and fir, either in groups or
in mixed growths. Occasionally there were clusters of larches (learix Europea;
Polonica) which grew very well. Other variants of pines were "Banka" (Pinus
leanxiania) and the' so-called American common pine (Wtymouth-Pinus
Deciduous Species, growing in' groups or singly, were two types of oaks (uercus
pendunculata and sessiliflora, more of the first), ash (Fraximus excelsior)
alders (in low lands) and hornbeams (Carpinus betulus). Hornbeam and aspen
(Populus tremula) were very rare. Fairly common was birch, in clusters and in
growths of, young pine. Elms (Ulmus) and Accacias (Robinis Pseudocacia) grew singly.
7. Most common shrebs were the bushthorn(Rhamnus frangula) black lolac; (Sambucus
nigra) Hawthorn, (Crataegus) 'cornea, (Cornus) willows, osier (Salix) laurels
(Daphne Mezereum), and others. Berries, herbs; flowers, and"muehroomi-were alio
plentiful. The most common berry was the black bilberry(Vaccinium myrtillus).
Others were ret berry (Vaccinium vilis idaea) bog bilberry (Vaecinium teligenosum)
Scotch heather, and Scetch broom (0ertisus scoparius). Prevailing flowers Wre
the lily' of the valley, and orchis. There vas a variety of herbs and many mesh-
rooms? some edible.
8. The system of 'forest management used in these areas vas chiefly that of artificial
reforestatiOn. Pines, spruce, firs, and larch were planted as -vell as oak. This
system Preduced the best reaults, Because the soil was solidly covered with moss
and grass, it as not propitious to natural foreitation. In widely' scattered
areas veld boars aug uy the soil and some trees would sow naturally; but even
then it Was neaeze ry to make correctione. F restation was c rried out in the
oldest growths. After surveys, trees that were damp; pitch Y and muehroomy were
it dawn. Aft' the lahd was cleared et ,cut trees, rove 1.20 meters part were
dug by hand hoes. 'Where the' terrain was suitable, it va, plowed by horses. Pine
trees were then planted at 0.30 meter intervals.
9. Approximately 500 vorkeris mostly girls from ne rby villages, were hired annually
to- cultivate the forests. They were paid 0.70 to 0.90 zlotys tor 11)-.(-'ur day.
The Work' Of diggihg ditches, making fe. ces? and eoeetructing euildiugs 'vas done
by workmen onepiece work. They earned about 2 zlotys(- $0.40) per day. For
cutting trees, from 800 to 1,000 men were hired. These dia not work fee' money;
but for the waste; stumps., tops; :nd. branches. They had to cut the trees, clean'
them-of branches,' saw theM into desigrated lengths, peel the bark (occasionally)
dig up the stumps, and take the fuel wood to the highway or railroad %na there
stack it in piles. The wool was removed from ple cuttings by horse-dravn carts.
Timber was t 'ken directly to' railroad statioee or saw mills. The saw-mill that
eerviced Dobr -Rudnik vas located in Letovnia?next to the railroad station. It -
was modern' and hed the latest evipment. Other saw-mills were at Nisbet, Krzeszov, and
on the Potocki estate. Either the owner or the buyer would then pe Y accordinee
tO the type, weight, dietance of travel; and the cubic measurements. The rate, was
1.50 to 4.00 zlotys pere cubic =tete 4;
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11. The Debra-Rednik forests Were Odbject to many natural and manemade-hartful
dataget,eSudh eleark desteoying-beetles, moths; forest animals, winds?-deoUghts?
tree diseases, Muihrooms and lichens, and fires. Trees most affected by all
causes were pines.
12. Most commoneof the inseete vas the bark destroying bettle, the resin midge
(Szeliniak Smolik)and the'CetYniec mostowiee teeth large and small WelophilUs
pinipeida. The -"nue tueeeekemeth (Zymantria monaCha) and the 'poProCh eetyniak"
(Bupalue Piniaiius) also appeared in large numbers. The only way to combat these
insects and mothe was to collect and burn the.
13. Damage to trees by animals wee difficult to combat. Does would gnaw the tope
of young fir treee and deer vculd de-bark young (6-10 year old pines) with their
antlers. Boare uprooted Weymouth pine plantings, The only solution VAS to
shoot the animals or to fence the woods.
14. People damagedethe foresta by thefts, catelessnets with calk), firesand dropping
tigarettee. Fires; were Also calited-by leasing railroad locoiotives. Violent-
Winda semetimes eaUsed great &stage. Once in 1943 a wind storm uprooted 20000
cubic meters of timber in five minutes.
15. Of all diseases, the most menacing were the root fungus and the pine fungue
(Trametes Radiciperda and Trametes Pini). The shortage of proper sprays to
Oodbat tree diseasea we seriously noticeable.
26. The Rudnik forests veretraversed Mr one railroad line, the Rocsadiv-Przeworsk
line, and by tvo highways. These were the Rozvadiv-Przeworsk and the Rzeezow-
Rndnike' Both wr?ood gravel roads that had been improved. by the Germans during
1940-43. The highways were vide enough to permit free movement of motorized
trooPs and heavy duty c mbat vehicles'and strong enough to support sufficient
load.
17. The main forst-proUcts were ship manta, telephone and power poles; conetrUction
lutbers'and tine eUpperts"from coniferous trees. Oak floorings, rail tier and
Wagoneshafts? ash veneer and 1utber0 alder veneer and luMbere and posts from the
acacia? were forest products fro e deciduous trees. A major by-product VAS resin.
Other products Of the areaerere: Stresiberries and raspberries, anshrooms, and
iraa'ore in-email eueantitiee. Construction lumber, called /9audu1ecw? vas sent
by water down the San to the Vistula to Gdansk (Danzig). It vas only roughly
trimmed, partly crowned.
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OORIBENTIAL
18. A large reeirt products- faCtozy was located in Radek. It 144 "Zara"
end Wee aeithe-direetiori-of ;Prim& engineer*. It Was boyeinTI939
and efilY Partially rebUilti*-1.944, The factory produded colophbny, turPentine,
and*668. 'fit& Pine istu4a brOden.6 from Rawa-Rtuika. Tvu initialer resin
prodneti factories were in Garbatem and in Kremiawed. Other industriiii in
the area consisted. of basket weaving, reed'. furniture, and willow flower holders.
194 Dobra4lUdnik wall once very famous for its annual (Nov) wild boar hunti. Guests
from all oVer,:,;the world took part in this event, :I.The forest mana,gement usually
furnished. abou'? 2,00 personal plus 25 vehicles to moist in the hunt.
20. The population of :Rudnik was predominantly Palish with a scattering of J'effe and
4 few small Ukrainian settlements. Notwithstanding the common enmity between
the two peoples the Poles and the Ukrainians got along very Yen.
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