MANILA, Philippines – In Korea forest trees are taken care of just like any other precious crop. The Korea Forest Service stresses that although creating forests is important, the sustainable way of utilization and value-increasing is far more significant. It says that they are endeavoring to establish the basis of low carbon green growth by nurturing highly valuable forest resources in terms of economy and environment, and expanding carbon sinks in order to cope with climate change.

By tending trees (thinning, removing unnecessary branches, etc.), the practice facilitates tree growth, improves the economic value of timber production, and increases the social value and public benefits of forests, including water storage enhancement, disaster prevention, biodiversity, job creation, and so on.

Forest tending has created a lot of jobs because 59 percent of the trees planted are less than 30 years old and they still need a lot of tending. KFS established the first forest tending plan (2004–2008) to promote systematic tending in multi-functional forests. The second plan (2009-2013), on the other hand, has been designed for responding to climate change. A total of 250,000 hectares of forests are tended every year and in total 1.25 million hectares of forests will be managed as planned.

Byproducts from tending activities are used for industrial purposes, and wood-based biomass are also utilized for production of wood pellet as fuel substitute. The Forest Service explains that forestry biomass can function as an alternative fuel and carbon sink so it is considered as a key source for addressing climate change. KFS has a plan to supply wood-pellet boilers by 2020 to 143,000 rural households. The agency has already built a wood pellet processing plant in Yeoju in 2008 for promoting the use and production of wood pellets.

Wood pellets, KFS explains, are a type of wood fuel made from compacted sawdust. They are usually produced by compressing byproducts of sawmilling and other forest tending activities. The lignin is used as plaster forming a natural glue that holds the pellet together. It is a pollution-free and environmentally sound fuel with high combustion efficiency. Wood pellets are also very easy to transfer, store and use.

KFS is also responsible in establishing an eco-friendly forest land management. Since forest disasters like forest fires and landslides are a threat to life and property, it has established restoration and prevention structure through a prompt and well-organized precautionary system.

Promotion of recreation and mountaineering is also a major concern of the KFS. Since 1998, the recreation forest project has been implemented to meet the public demand for forest recreation. As of 2009, 133 recreation forests were in operation. The KFS implements various mountaineering policies for creating and maintaining hike trails and operating mountaineering schools so as to ensure forest visitors and mountaineers have a safe and enjoyable hiking.