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For Harmonious Coexistence with Forest
There is magnific cordillera at northern end of Kushiro region The area of forest reaches to 390 thousand hectares, and about 30% of those are artificially planted forest. Histrically, there was high demand of timber from coal mine to use for supporting mine cavity, and timber production for those demands was mainly taken place at upstream of rivers of Kushiro region. For the five cities around the wetland, however, the area of forest is not so large, but just 3% of all the forrest at Hokkaido. |
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There was the large river called Kushiro river from north (forest) to south (cities). This geographical characteristics encouraged forestry industry histrically for a long time.
However, forestry industry became to face difficult time from about 1950 due to the resource depliciation caused by destructive lumbering and introduction of relatively cheap imported timbers. As this time became turning point of forestry at this resgion, people began not only to produce lumbers, but also to manage and use those for integrated ways, such as for prevention of flood and recreation use. Better forest management in fact has positive impact for Kushiro wetland located at downstream in the way to prevent excessive surface flow, and eroded sand and soil. |
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