Kobayashi Hisashi's Forest Revival and Eco-Education - May 2003

Kobayashi Hisashi's Forest Revival and Eco-Education - May 2003
Nagano Prefecture's Ueda City, blessed with rich forest resources, faced the decline of forestry and the degradation of its mountains, with stagnation in thinning and resource circulation contributing to environmental deterioration. Hisashi Kobayashi's initiatives served as a meaningful model, simultaneously addressing these regional challenges and preventing global warming. By utilizing thinned wood and branches as firewood and chip fuel, he reduced fossil fuel use while improving neglected forests and preventing landslides. Furthermore, local fuel production and supply created jobs and supported the local economic cycle.

Considering the background of the time, Kobayashi's activities were more than just an energy policy. They were a pioneering practice integrating "sustainable management of local resources" and "environmental education." Especially notable was the education for children on the role of forests and the importance of reducing environmental impact, aligning with the nationwide eco-education promotion trend of the early 2000s. This became a model case for later community energy policies and environmental learning initiatives.