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Poland's planned "East Shield" border fortifications threaten the Białowieża Forest, a UNESCO World Heritage site straddling the Poland-Belarus frontier, conservationists and Mongabay report. Poland plans a network of military fortifications along its 700-kilometer eastern border amid rising security threats from Russia and Belarus. The ancient Białowieża Forest, one of Europe's last primeval woodlands, is already stressed by decades of drainage, drought and habitat fragmentation. Conservationists say the project, which would involve concrete bunkers, minefields and anti-tank ditches through the forest, would cause severe harm to local wildlife. Scientists from the Polish Academy of Sciences proposed "warwilding", restoring dense forests, rivers and bogs as natural barriers against heavy military vehicles. Michal Zmihorski, a conservation biologist with the Academy, said such environments should be preserved if an attack is expected from that side. Poland's military adopted the idea, with Marek Pietrzak, a Polish Armed Forces spokesperson, saying construction and environmental protection can go hand in hand. Polish authorities earmarked $120 million in EU funding for nature-based defense, but progress remains slow and relies on volunteers and conservation groups. Edyta Kapowicz of the Polish Association for Bird Protection (PTOP) argued that protecting the forest is compatible with national security. Zmihorski said immediate action is needed, and Mongabay noted that road widening projects could undermine natural barriers.