Gyeongsangbuk-do designates forest management zones in wildfire-hit areas

Gyeongsangbuk-do has completed the designation of forest management special zones in five municipalities affected by major wildfires: Uiseong, Andong, Yeongdeok, Cheongsong, and Yeongyang. This initiative, the first of its kind in South Korea, aims to move beyond simple reforestation and logging to rebuild forests as sustainable sources of income and regional economic drivers.

Operating under the ‘Gyeongsangbuk-do, Gyeongsangnam-do, and Ulsan Wildfire Damage Support Act’, these zones will be maintained for 10 years until 2035. The program supports specialized afforestation, the establishment of production bases for forest products like wild greens, the expansion of forest management infrastructure, and the construction of processing and distribution facilities.

Specific regional plans include: - Yeongdeok: Developing chestnut forests and cultivation complexes for wild greens such as deodeok and ferns, alongside cold storage and packaging facilities. - Cheongsong: Combining landscape species like maple with wild greens and linking forest creation with tourism near Juwangsan. - Yeongyang: Creating large-scale theme forests focused on birch and maple trees to increase income through products like maple sap.

The province plans to hold field briefing sessions next month to gather input from residents and forest owners to refine detailed business plans.