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The Mitsui & Co. Environment Fund

Introduction to Grant Projects

The Environment Network of Forest & Rivers in Hokkaido

Woodland partner' - a project to restore woodland beside the Hirusawa River

Activity grant

Project Description

This project aims to restore the woodland of the Hirusawa River basin near Hakodate, Hokkaido. Seeds will be taken from upstream mother trees, cultivated for three years, and planted once anti-erosion work on the river bank has been completed. They will continue to be managed afterward. Designated kindergartens, elementary schools, high schools, and care facilities for the disabled will also be involved in the project. Other activities will include making charcoal from felled invasive tree species, improving soil quality at planting sites, and initiatives to improve the purity of river water.

Fields
Preservation of surface soil and forestsPreservation of biodiversity and ecosystem
Grant year
FY2007 Activity Grants
Grant term
3 years
July 2007 - June 2010
Grant amount
4,528,000 yen
Activity region
Hakodate and Nanae, Hokkaido, Japan
School students and other volunteers setting up seed traps for Japanese beech

Overview of the Organization

Kinichi Kageyama, Representative Director
Representative
Kinichi Kageyama, Representative Director
Establishment
2004
Establishment purpose
To conserve Hokkaido's remaining forest and river ecosystems and environments, and regenerate and restore those lost as much as possible; to communicate the value of these ecosystems and environments to local residents and the island's many visitors; and to provide environmental education in the form of play for the next generation who will be responsible for the future, and to leverage this education to contribute to local and regional development.
Main area of activity
Hokkaido
Staff
18 part-time staff members, 65 full members
Annual operating budget
3.07 million yen in 2005, 2.85 million yen in 2006, 2.82 million yen in 2007
Recent activities
In addition to the Harusawa riverbank forest restoration project financed by the Mitsui & Co. Environment Fund, which involves four sub-projects - collecting, planting and cultivating seeds; environmental education; collaborating with welfare facilities; and logging black locust trees for charcoal - the network has been self-funding a native forest restoration sub-project since 2008, involving creating seedling banks and collaborative pilot projects related to this, as well as a nut species monitoring project. In 2009, it plans to operate a sub-project for restoring trees felled by wind in Tatarasawa with government support. It is also involved in repairing ecosystems in public forest and agricultural waterways in Assabu (2003-2013), maintaining and managing plantation areas as a part of conservation work creating slits in dams on tributaries in the Hekirichi area (2004-2013), and performing checks and walk-around inspections for government-planned fish and vegetation surveys, including during planning discussions, proposals, and post-survey discussions.