Protection of natural environment
 
Protection of natural environment in Poland is realised particularly in range of:
1) creating national parks,
2) recognition of exact areas as sanctuaries,
3) creating landscape parks,
4) marking out areas of protected scenery,
5) initiation of plants’ and animals' spices protection,
6) initiation of protection by accounting:
      a) natural monuments,
      b) evidence positions,
      c) ecological grounds,
      d) natural and landscapes complexes.
These constitute a national system of protected areas. The system makes a spatial structure, filled with different forms of protection of nature, complementary to each other, united with ecological corridors.

AREAS OF PROTECTED SCENERY
Areas of protected scenery include regions characterised by not very distorted environment, ecological balance and high values of natural scenery. These areas are connected by a system of river valleys and forest complexes playing a role of ecological corridors – in this way creating the system of protected areas.

There are 15 areas of protected scenery of total area of 462717,3 hectares on the territory of the voivodeship. These are the following:

Białowieża Primeval Forest - 78538 hectares
The Narew river Valley – 41862 hectares
Sokoły Hills – 38742 hectares
The Bug river Valley – 30162 hectares
Rajgród Lakes – 3930 hectares
The Rospuda Valley – 25250 hectares
The Błędzianka Valley – 3550 hectares
The Northern Suwałki Region Lake District – 39510 hectares
The Sejny Lake District – 37880 hectares
Augustów Primeval Forest and Augustów Lakes – 65475 hectares
The Biebrza river Valley – 32635 hectares
The Rajgród Lakes District - 12027 hectares
The Bug river and the Nurzec river Valley - 2921,2 hectares
The Biebrza Valley – 1241 hectares
The Kurpie Plain and the lower Narew river Valley - 48994,1 hectares

ECOLOGICAL GROUNDS
Ecological grounds are eco-system remainders, deserving for protection, having a great meaning for unique supplies and different types of environment (natural storage reservoirs, field and forest little ponds, shrubs, swamps, peatbogs etc.). There are 249 ecological grounds accounted on the territory of the voivodeship, of which 90 per cent are forest swamps and forest little ponds. The rest consists of rural grounds containing also swamps and little ponds.

NATURAL AND LANDSCAPE COMPLEXES
These are areas marked out for protection of valuable parts of natural and cultural landscape. There is 1 natural and landscape complex, functioning in our region – ‘Głogi’ (60 hectares), assigned by Mielnik Commune. Part of the edge of the Bug river valley is protected by this complex. Post-glacial structures formed into heights, cut with ravines as well as interesting communities of xerothermic spices are particularly valuable.

EVIDENCE POSITIONS
These are places of geological forms, fossils, mineral structures and exploited or inactive surface drifts (2 evidence positions – inactive gravel-pits).

NATURAL MONUMENTS
Natural monuments are legally protected formations of animate and inanimate nature, having special scientific, cultural, historical and commemorative values. These often are aged, magnificent trees or erratic blocks. Wayside trees alleys are also protected as natural monuments.
Among natural monuments of our voivodeship are single trees (1761), groups of trees (124), alleys (38), erratic blocks (112) and others (2). The list is open – many magnificent trees are to be registered.