The Korea Forest Service’s National Institute of Forest Science (Director Kim Yong-kwan) announced on the 5th that it will officially implement the ‘Pilot Project for the Restoration of Pine Mushroom Production Areas Hit by Wildfires’ to restore the pine mushroom production areas affected by large wildfires. This project is evaluated as a case of proactive administration with resident participation to quickly spread scientific research results to wildfire-affected areas.
The pilot project will be carried out in Uljin-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, an area that suffered damage from the 2022 East Coast wildfires. Uljin-gun is a representative pine mushroom production area in Korea, and damage from wildfires has continuously affected pine mushroom harvesting sites and the local economy. In response, the National Institute of Forest Science decided to swiftly apply the artificial cultivation research results using ‘infected seedlings’ and ‘inoculated seedlings’ of pine mushrooms to areas where some mushroom mycelium remain.
This project is planned as a resident-participation recovery model through collaboration between the private sector, government, and research institutions. The National Institute of Forest Science will be responsible for supporting artificial cultivation technology and developing the recovery model, while the Uljin National Forest Management Office will oversee field management and provide national forests. Local residents are responsible for selecting target areas and acquiring artificial cultivation technologies, participating directly in the recovery process.
Through this cooperation system, the National Institute of Forest Science aims to restore the basis for pine mushroom production, a major source of income from non-timber forest products in the region, and develop a long-term wildfire recovery strategy. Additionally, they plan to conduct long-term monitoring of the establishment state of mushroom mycelium and the growth patterns of infected and inoculated seedlings to scientifically verify and enhance the efficiency of the recovery model.
Park Eung-jun, Head of the Forest Microbiology Utilization Research Division of the National Institute of Forest Science, stated, “Through the Uljin pilot project, we will scientifically establish a recovery model for mushroom production areas affected by wildfires and strive to expand its application to the Yeongnam region in the future.”
