3. Maintaining Vitality of Forestry and Mountain Villages: Challenges and Solutions
‐ Measures to have forestry-engaged people settled in mountain villages ‐
One of the reasons for the sluggish forestry practices is seen in the lowering interest of the forest owners in the businesses due to the declining profitability of forestry. Cost reduction through promotion of intensive forestry and other processes, therefore, should be an important measure to improve the profitability and, in turn, motivation of the owners.
When attempting intensive forestry, forest owners’ associations or other organizations in forestry should discuss the need of the practices with the forest owners by using specific examples, including the photos to show the current situations. It is also effective to provide information such as necessary expenditures, sales amount of wood and policies in practices in order to stimulate the interest of the owners.
Promotion of use of local wood requires clear targets when deciding the direction of supply system preparation. Attention should be paid to the recent consumer sentiment for the use of local wood and wood products with health concerns so that this sentiment can properly lead to the actual demand of local wood.
The number of people engaged in the forestry has been decreasing in a long term, while the aging of the workers have been advancing. On the other hand, there are movements to rediscover the forestry as job opportunities to “work in nature.” The annual number of people who have joined the workforce in the forestry has been over 2,000 since fiscal year 1999. In fiscal year 2003, the number reached over 4,000, owing to the Forestry New-employment Training Project so called “Midori-no-koyo(Green Employment)”.
In order to create more attractive communities in mountain villages, the bountiful resources of local products should be fully utilized to develop business opportunities. It is also important to select measures that suit to local situations, such as promotion of non wood forest products and creation of new forest and/or mountain related businesses (apart from conventional “forestry” for example) that make good use of forest resources with local originality and ingenuity.
4. For the Sustainable Use of Forests in the Coming Generations
‐ Passing on the benefits from the forests to the next generation with the efforts of those in the forestry as well as entire people in the nation ‐
We can enjoy the benefits from the forests today as a result of the efforts by the people who have supported the activities of forestry and mountain villages. It is necessary for these people to be able to continue their efforts of forest management and conservation with support from the public.
Passing on the benefits from the forests to the next generation is a mission assigned to those who are engaged in the forestry and reside in mountain villages as well as the whole people of Japan.