V Promotion of National Forest Management Reform

1. The Role of National Forest Management and Past Efforts

National Forest make up 30% of total forest areas in Japan and many are clustered around remote in-land mountain ranges and headwater areas. They play major roles in fulfilling public functions.

To fulfill the roles expected of the National Forest, administration to sustain and improve the public functions has been promoted based on the two reform-related laws since the fiscal year 1998.

Consignment of logging, planting and weeding to private corporations are being promoted and, as of fiscal year 2002, have reached 100%, 90% and 80% of total work, respectively.

The Basic Management Plan has been revised, aiming to realize "forests for the people," in both name and reality, based on the framework to develop a simple and efficient administration established in the concentrated reform period of the past five years.

Specifically, the Plan sets forth the further promotion of administration for the sustainment and development of public functions, active roles of National Forest in taking initiatives on new policy issues such as mitigation of global warming, and full-fledged promotion of forest environment education and public participation in creating forests.

2. Efforts towards a "Forests for the People"

Each National Forest is classified as "forest for water and land conservation," "forest for symbiosis with people" or "forest for cyclic use of resources," based on the most significant functions that should be fulfilled in each forest, and management and creation of forest is promoted according to this classification.

Under the cooperation with people involved in privately-owned forests, NPO groups and others, the establishment of new protected forests and the installation of "Green Corridors," which aim to create a network between protected forests, are being promoted to sustain and preserve a superior natural environment.

As a mitigative measure against global warming, National Forest has been taking the initiative in creation of healthy and lively forests and the use of lumber in forest civil engineering work. Such use of lumber in 2002 is three times that of four years ago.

"Interaction forests," which are National Forest provided as a workplace for forestry volunteer groups, "Forestation to support the culture of wood", which contribute to the continuation of traditional culture, and "Corporation forest", where profit-sharing forestry system is implemented are being promoted.

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