Jeongeup-si, Full Efforts to Develop Wolyeong Wetland and Solti Forest as Ecotourism Attractions

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Jae-gil] Jeongeup City in Jeonbuk announced on the 27th that it plans to continuously promote Wolyeong Wetland and Solti Forest as excellent ecological resources and develop them into ecological tourism attractions.

Wolyeong Wetland was first discovered in a nationwide wetland survey conducted in 2011 and was designated as a wetland conservation area by the Ministry of Environment in 2014.

It is a lowland-type inland mountain wetland formed in a basin between valleys around the mountain summit area, representing the natural history of abandoned farmland, which was mainly used as agricultural land in the past, transitioning into a wetland.

It forms a unique ecosystem that possesses characteristics of both plains and mountains, making its conservation value very high.

In particular, it is home to a total of 276 species, including 122 animal species such as the Ministry of Environment-designated endangered species like the Asian rat snake, black kite, and Blakiston's fish owl, as well as mammals, birds, and terrestrial insects, and 154 plant species, providing an important ecological habitat for these species and boasting rich biodiversity.

Solti Forest is the forest of Solti Village located on the foothills of Naejangsan, which was designated as a national park in 1971.

It is formed as a beautiful primeval forest of the national park and is inhabited by endangered species such as the jewel beetle and the yellow spider lily, which are indicator species, along with 733 native plant species.

The city is investing 7.3 billion KRW by 2024 to build ecological tourism infrastructure to harmonize excellent ecological resources with regional economic development.

They have created Naejang Ecological Exploration Marugil, the first gateway to the Wolyeong Wetland and Solti Forest ecological tourism sites, near the sculpture park, making it a scenic viewpoint where visitors can see Naejang Lake and Naejangsan at a glance.

Additionally, the old Solti Forest trail connecting Solti Forest and Solti Village has been restored, and the natural trail from Wolyeong Village to Wolyeong Wetland, about 1 km long, has been improved so that it can be reached within a 20-minute walk.

Along with this, the city has established the Naejangsan Ecological Exploration Center near the Solti Forest ecological experience site and ecological tourism area, providing ecological interpretation and various experience programs to citizens and visitors.

The city is also planning and promoting the construction of a visitor support center for tourists by next year.

Once completed, the facility will be used as an activity space for the ecological tourism community by exhibiting, educating, and promoting the natural resources of Wolyeong Wetland and Solti Forest, and offering various indoor programs such as ecological experiences and village ecological dining experiences to visitors.

Furthermore, to advance into a mature ecological tourism site, the city is promoting ecological spatial planning.

Village residents and the city are cooperating to carry out amphibian roadkill protection activities and detailed surveys on spawning.

The city plans to complete the spatial planning of Jeongeup Wolyeong Wetland by building basic data centered on amphibian ecology and evaluating ecological value and the necessity of conservation and utilization.

Mayor Yoo Jin-seop said, “We will expand the base of ecological tourism in the region through the development of ecological tourism sites,” and added, “We will actively support making it a model case of wise use without damaging nature and establishing it as a resident-centered ecological tourism site.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.