Hampyeong County in South Jeolla Province is recycling trees damaged by a large forest fire into sawdust for livestock farmers. This initiative aims to supply potentially wasted forest resources to farmers while addressing tree disposal, supporting farmers, and promoting resource circulation.
On August 27, Hampyeong County announced that it has provided 158 tons of sawdust, produced from trees harvested in the area affected by the major forest fire in April 2023, to local livestock farmers free of charge.
The trees used in this effort were harvested from a 53-hectare area of forest that suffered damage from the fire last year.
Instead of disposing of the damaged trees, the county repurposed them into sawdust that can be used as bedding for livestock. The sawdust was distributed to local farmers through the Hampyeong Livestock Association over two days starting August 26.
This initiative is particularly significant as it repurposes forest resources generated during the disposal of fire-damaged trees back into agricultural use. The county expects this will not only increase the utility of the damaged trees but also alleviate the financial burden on livestock farmers for purchasing sawdust, contributing to budget savings and carbon neutrality.
The county is also working on restoring the forest areas affected by the fire.
Plans include planting trees such as the Chinese scholar tree and the golden rain tree in the areas where the damaged trees were harvested, gradually restoring the damaged forest while also improving the landscape for long-term tourism development.
Park Yu-hyang, head of the Hampyeong Forest Management Team, stated, “We will continue to support the utilization of damaged trees caused by disasters like forest fires, turning them into resources that provide practical help to farmers. We will expand tree planting and explore various support measures for farmers using forestry resources, including the supply of sawdust from fire-damaged trees.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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