Back to the Beautiful Uljin Forest! ... Uljin-gun Launches 600ha Afforestation Project

Uljin-gun, Gyeongbuk Province, is promoting a reforestation project not only to restore damage caused by forest fires but also to respond to climate change and create forests with high economic and public value.

Uljin-gun has officially launched a 600ha afforestation and greening project.

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The forest fire that occurred on March 4 last year destroyed 14,140 hectares, accounting for 17% of Uljin-gun's forests, causing the loss of the forest. To restore this, a spring reforestation project is being implemented this year on 600 hectares of damaged forest, reflecting the tree species preferred by forest owners as much as possible.

Among the 14,140 hectares of forest fire damage, the Korea Forest Service established the "Basic Plan for Forest Ecological Restoration of Forest Fire Damage Areas in the East Coast Protected Area" for 4,240 hectares that require ecological protection such as protected zones, parks, and mountain goat habitats. Uljin-gun established the "Basic Plan for Forest Restoration of Uljin Forest Fire Damage Areas" for 9,900 hectares of public and private forests from July last year to February this year.

The "Basic Plan for Forest Restoration of Uljin Forest Fire Damage Areas" is a five-year forest restoration plan developed by considering on-site damage surveys, residents' opinions, and socio-economic factors. It classifies 27% of the damaged areas, such as landslide-prone zones and rocky areas where logging is impossible and areas with high natural recovery ability, as natural restoration zones, and 73% where logging and reforestation are possible as artificial restoration zones. The plan takes into account the six major forest functions (timber production forest, water source conservation forest, forest disaster prevention forest, living environment conservation forest, natural environment conservation forest, and forest recreation forest).

Based on the established basic plan, the spring reforestation project on 600 hectares this year includes planting economic trees, creating scenic forests, planting special-use trees, and fire-resistant species. In addition to pine trees, reforestation is being promoted with species such as walnut, chestnut, lacquer tree, cypress, wild cherry tree, and thornless Akebia for special-use tree production complexes to be used as future forest tourism resources and for residents' income.

Furthermore, the county has completed the creation of an 8-hectare Donor's Forest with support from the public and companies in collaboration with organizations such as Life Forest and Good People, and plans to create about 10 more hectares of Donor's Forest in the future.

County Governor Son Byeong-bok said, "Although the forest that has been nurtured for a long time was lost in an instant due to the forest fire, we will make our best efforts to ensure not only rapid forest greening through systematic forest restoration but also to develop forests that will become tourism resources and sources of income for residents decades from now."

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