Gyeonggi Province Launches 9.44 Billion Won 'Customized Forest Management' Covering Area 13 Times the Size of Yeouido

Gyeonggi Province to Intensively Manage 3,892 Hectares of Forests
Systematic Efforts Underway for Sustainable Forest Resource Development

Starting in April, Gyeonggi Province will launch a "Customized Forest Management Project" targeting 38.92 ㎢ (3,892 hectares) of forest—an area roughly 13 times the size of Yeouido—by investing a total project budget of 9.44 billion won.

Gyeonggi Province Government Building. Provided by Gyeonggi Province

The forest management project aims to create healthy forest resources by adjusting tree density and improving growth conditions in the forests of 31 cities and counties within the province. Without proper management such as thinning (the process of reducing plant density so that the remaining trees can grow better), competition among trees can intensify, leading to reduced growth. In addition, the accumulation of fuel material such as fallen leaves and branches can increase the risk of extensive damage in the event of a wildfire.

To address this, the province will implement various initiatives such as tending young plantations and saplings to stabilize early growth and adjust density, as well as collecting forest by-products and conducting wildfire prevention forest management to remove fuel materials from forests.

Furthermore, from April through May, the province will conduct intensive on-site inspections in cooperation with the Korea Forest Service. These inspections will thoroughly verify the suitability of project site selection, as well as the design, supervision, and overall construction quality, while meticulously reviewing the standards for budget estimation to prevent subpar projects in advance. In particular, the inspections will transparently assess whether worker safety management is being implemented and whether government subsidies are being properly used, thereby further enhancing the field-oriented quality of the project.

Additionally, the province will actively promote the "Direct Forest Management by Forest Owners" program operated by the Korea Forest Service, which targets private forest owners who face challenges in forest management due to cost and expertise limitations. Through this program, forest owners can apply to manage their forests directly or entrust management to local governments. In order to establish a circular economy for forest resources and enhance the public benefits of forests, forest owners in the province who wish to participate should promptly apply through the Korea Forest Service website or their local government forestry departments, as each city and county is currently assessing demand for the 2027 project cycle.

Ilgon Kim, Director of the Forest and Greenery Division at Gyeonggi Province, stated, "Forest management is a core policy for protecting carbon sinks within the Basic Plan for Carbon Neutral Green Growth," adding, "Through systematic field management and inspections, we will create healthy and valuable forests."

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