The author focuses on deficiencies in activities by Voivodship Committees for Nature Conservation. He presents a historical outline of operation of such bodies in the period between the First and Second World War and during fifty post-war years, addressing the situation caused by the law enacted in 1991, which significantly deteriorated efficiency of actions taken by Voivodship Committees for Nature Conservation. The author discusses existing specific legal regulations which aggravate the situation: proposals for improvement are also given.