EN
Actual state and the changes occuring in forest areas all over the world were described. The changes in woodiness index on Poland's territory were characterized in aspect of unstable historical conditions, with special attention paid to the stages and achievements in afforestation since the world war II. The increment of forested areas within 1946-2001 covered as much as 2.4 million ha, including 1.3 million ha of afforested formerly arable grounds; remaining increase in the forest areas followed by taking over the tree-covered terrains through their natural succession, improving land registration as weil as the re-arrangement of ownership structure. The afforestation issues interpreted as a factor affecting the development of rural areas were analysed; the „in land programme of woodiness extension" in its modified version was also considered. The necessity of developing and implementation of the „National Forestry Programme" was emphasized. Such a programme would lay out the extent of country afforestations in perspective up to 2050, including the matters consulted with some political leaders of the Ministry andin accordance with the rules of sustainable development on rural areas. Financial questions connected with the afforestation activities, the sources of covering their costs on both, the state- and private-owned grounds were discussed. Maximum possible extension of the afforestation was presented as affected by ecological, economic and executive criteria.