About forest maintenance
Turning forests commissioned by forest owners in Mie Prefecture into sustainable and valuable mountains
For forests that have undergone forest maintenance and management in Mie Prefecture, a target forest type (forest space design) is determined using surveys of inhabiting organisms and forest evaluation, etc. We propose the development of rich and diverse forests that will lead to the next generation through forest maintenance.
The multifaceted functions of forests are structured hierarchically and comprehensively.
We will propose "valuable mountain building" that will lead to the next generation from various angles, considering the environment and living things while balancing the functions.
By building mountains in cooperation with local communities, NPOs, foresters, foresters, etc., we will create communities, create employment opportunities, increase the number of migrants, revitalize mountain villages, and promote the 6th industrialization of forestry. We aim to lead to recognition of diversity.
The forest area of Mie Prefecture is about 370,000 hectares, accounting for 65% of the prefectural land area.
Privately owned forests account for 350,000 hectares of this, with 220,000 hectares of artificial forests and 130,000 hectares of natural regenerated forests and other forests, accounting for 63% of the total.
While the forest rate is high, the environment surrounding forest maintenance is not good.
After the war, the world experienced a period of rapid economic growth and a major shift in energy, and the world shifted from coal to oil. And with the passage of time, mountains have moved away from our lives.
With the deregulation of timber imports, the price of domestic timber has fallen, and the aging of the population has led to a shortage of workers. Many closed private forests can be seen.
Even if thinning operations are carried out, there are places where they are left as forest residue, and illegal dumping is conspicuous in forests that are thickets.
In addition, 90% of forest owners own forests of less than 5 ha, making it difficult to actively manage forests.
Such a situation is spreading nationwide, and in 2019, the Forestry Agency began full-scale efforts in the field of "forest service industry".
"Forest service industry" is a new service industry that utilizes forest space in various fields such as "health, tourism, education, etc." in order to create and expand the "related population" for the revitalization of mountain villages. We are involved in forests through the landscaping business, and we are maintaining forest spaces in satoyama, mountain villages, and mountainsides.
Forests, regardless of whether they are artificial forests or natural forests, have some form of public benefit function. It is important to establish a system that allows local residents, companies, and municipalities to work together.
In order to bring out the multifaceted functions of forests, it is effective to classify forests according to their forms and functions, and to set and manage target forest types according to the classification. First of all, it is important to support the natural circulation of the mountain and build a system that can be tackled over a long period of time while considering the environment.
