The Korea Forest Research Institute has launched the ‘Know My Mountain Project’ to promote the management of private forests owned but not actively managed as assets by absentee landowners.
The Forest Service, under the Korea Forest Research Institute, announced that it has developed and begun to operate a tailored education program for absentee landowners, who make up 56% of all private forest owners, according to survey results.
This program aims to provide an understanding of basic information such as the scale of forest ownership, types of trees, and the characteristics of the land, as well as to assess the ecological and economic value of the forest. The education will be conducted jointly with the Visual Design Department of Jeonghwa Arts University until June, and there are plans to expand it in connection with the Seoul Metropolitan Lifelong Education Promotion Agency.
In the first stage, a Citizen Design Group workshop will be held on the theme of ‘Know My Mountain for Absentee Landowners’ to share the purpose of public service design and specifically identify the educational needs of the target group. Effective content and operational methods are expected to be derived through subsequent meetings.
Dr. Ha Si-yeon from the Forest Human Services Research Department of the Korea Forest Research Institute said, “The goal is to encourage absentee landowners to recognize the diverse values of forests and participate in the management of private forests,” and added, “We plan to prepare educational programs that can provide practical help.”
